Arman Tsarukyan just continued his detour into the world of professional grappling with yet another impressive win, this time at Hype Fighting: Armenia on August 1st, 2026. The MMA veteran has spent years working his way up the lightweight rankings and he’s finally within touching distance of a UFC title, but he’s chosen to explore other avenues instead of focusing on his main career. Over the past year he’s been competing in a number of Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling matches all around the world, taking some time away from MMA to test his grappling skills before he makes his return against Charles Oliveira at UFC 331.

Several of these matches have taken place at Hype Fighting events, the most recent of which saw Tsarukyan take home a title. He outwrestled and eventually submitted fellow UFC veteran Muhammad Mokaev at Hype Fighting: Brazil just a few months ago, putting on one of the best performances that the promotion has ever seen. Tsarukyan put Momaev to sleep with a rear-naked choke in that match and although this latest one didn’t have the same dramatic finish, it was equally impressive. His opponent was a little less experienced though, as he was booked against former wrestler and fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuria.

Tsarukyan came out quickly against Baiyanpuria, looking to impose his will on him as early as he could. The tactic worked well too, as he was able to find a rear-clinch and launch Baiyanpuria into the air inside the first two minutes. It was a clean takedown that allowed Tsarukyan to secure side control as soon as they landed. He didn’t hesitate to collect an arm while he was there, transitioning into an armbar and dropping back to start extending it. Baiyanpuria tapped quickly and the referee called an end to the match, with Tsarukyan leaving as the champion once again.

Hype Fighting shared the footage of Arman Tsarukyan defending his belt at Hype: Armenia in a recent post to their official Instagram account: