Arman Tsarukyan risks never fighting for a UFC title if he doesn’t change his strategy

He’s continued to stay active in grappling matches while keeping his name relevant and winning fans over by consistently doing interviews, specifically around UFC 324.

The brawl that Tsarukyan was involved in this past weekend at RAF has changed things and needs to inspire a change of approach from the #2-ranked lightweight contender if he’s ever going to fight for a UFC title.

Can Arman Tsarukyan be trusted with a UFC title shot?

Between punching a fan at UFC 300, his Dan Hooker headbutt and now the RAF brawl, is Arman Tsarukyan too much of a loose canon for the UFC title?

Arman Tsarukyan has to avoid putting himself in situations like the brawl at RAF 6

Arman Tsarukyan clearly loves to compete and get into it with his opponents but he needs to do what he can to avoid these circumstances at all costs.

Footage from his Real American Freestyle match with Georgio Poullas shows that his opponent was clearly trying to provoke him with a series of attempted strikes.

Tsarukyan had no regrets about making Poullas pay for this by pushing him over and hitting him when their contest ended but this doesn’t help his career.

The lightweight star’s history of physical altercations with both fighters and fans means that his opponent likely knew that he would be able to draw this reaction out of the Armenian.

Tsarukyan continuing to compete outside of the UFC has been a great move for him but moments like this aren’t going to help his case for a title shot.

His promotion is surely going to see this footage and think he’s still not totally reliable and it will happen again if his opponent presses the issue.

This run of activity, with Tsarukyan already having another match booked, could end up being a major hindrance to his career goals rather than a help because of moments like this.

He either needs to be more selective about which opponents he faces or get through an entire UFC bout without any issues, which seems unlikely given the potential opponents he could face.

Should Arman Tsarukyan be taking fights in the UFC instead of competing elsewhere?

Arman Tsarukyan said it himself that this could still be an issue for him

Arman Tsarukyan’s record on paper should have already earned him a UFC title fight but both of his last wins have been overshadowed by physical altercations.

Tsarukyan said it himself in an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show in January that he sometimes struggles to control himself when immediately reacting to certain situations.

The lightweight contender smirked as one of his team laughed on screen when a follow up question asked whether he has this same issue on the streets.

In hindsight, it was only a matter of time before Tsarukyan met an opponent in grappling who looked to take advantage of this to provoke the 29-year-old.