Arman Tsarukyan is staying busy as he awaits his next move in the UFC.
Promotional officials announced that Tsarukyan is booked for a grappling superfight at ACB’s 18th event on Sept. 19. Tsarukyan faces former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson at the event, which takes place in Moscow, Russia.
Tsarukyan hasn’t competed in the UFC’s octagon in well over a year, a decision win over former champ Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in April 2024. The victory earned Tsarukyan his first ever UFC lightweight title shot against then-champ Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 in January, but an injury scratched the challenger the day before the bout, and Makhachev went on to beat Renato Moicano in quick order. The 28-year-old has since competed in a pair of grappling matches, including a submission win over Patricky Pitbull in May.
Henderson retired from MMA competition following a loss to Usman Nurmagomedov at Bellator 292 in March 2023. Since then, “Smooth” has kept busy competing in both grappling and boxing, which includes a decision win over Chris Avila under the Misfits Boxing banner.
