In recent months, some of the biggest names in mixed martial arts have stepped away from the Octagon and into the world of competitive grappling under the Real American Freestyle (RAF) banner. By combining elite Olympic and NCAA wrestlers with established UFC stars, the promotion has quickly carved out a unique niche in the combat sports landscape. The result has been a series of intriguing crossover matchups featuring fighters such as Colby Covington, Henry Cejudo, Merab Dvalishvili, Aljamain Sterling, Khamzat Chimaev, and Bo Nickal.
Yet no UFC fighter has embraced the platform quite like Arman Tsarukyan. The lightweight contender has become one of RAF’s most recognizable stars, largely because his UFC future remains uncertain despite his elite ranking. Currently sitting at No. 2 in the lightweight division, Tsarukyan remains without a guaranteed title shot, a situation that can be traced back to January 2025.
At UFC 311, Tsarukyan was scheduled to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight championship before being forced to withdraw from the fight just one day before the event due to injury. The late cancellation frustrated UFC CEO Dana White, who has repeatedly expressed his disappointment over the withdrawal and has openly admitted that he is not particularly fond of the Armenian contender. Since then, Tsarukyan has found himself in an unusual position, but rather than sitting on the sidelines, he has stayed active by testing himself across several grappling promotions and submission-focused events.
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His run outside the UFC has been remarkably successful. Under the RAF banner, Tsarukyan earned victories over Georgio Poullas and former Bellator champion Lance Palmer, defeating the latter by technical fall at RAF 05. He also captured the ACBJJ World Championship in December 2025 with a submission victory over Mehdi Baydulaev, further strengthening his reputation as one of the most accomplished grapplers in MMA.
At ADXC 10, he submitted former Bellator lightweight champion Patricky Freire, while another impressive performance at Pit Submission Series 12 saw him defeat Makkasharip Zaynukov. Given his dominance in these competitions, fans have naturally begun asking a fascinating question: how would Islam Makhachev fare in the same environment? The reigning UFC welterweight champion is widely regarded as one of the best grapplers in mixed martial arts today.
However, the Dagestani star has no immediate plans to follow Tsarukyan’s path. Speaking during a recent appearance on Adam Zubayraev’s YouTube channel, Makhachev revealed that he has received multiple offers to compete outside the UFC. While he did not disclose which organizations approached him, he confirmed that opportunities have been presented.
He said, “Yeah, I’ve been approached. No, (I’m not interested). I have enough to do. I have enough money, enough fights — championship ones. I don’t have time to get distracted by wrestling or grappling matches. Because you could get injured and then sit out half a year with nothing. I have time to fight, prepare, take care of family matters. If I competed in wrestling too, I’d have to prepare, go through camps again, travel again. So I have no desire to get distracted.”
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Makhachev made it clear that, despite receiving offers to compete in grappling and wrestling matches outside the UFC, he has no interest in pursuing them. The reigning welterweight champion believes the risk of injury and the additional preparation required simply aren’t worth it at this stage of his career when he already sits at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings.
His comments come as more UFC stars continue crossing over into RAF events, but in a controversial manner. The promotion’s most recent card was headlined by Khamzat Chimaev’s debut against Dillon Danis, a matchup that ended in a chaotic brawl and generated headlines across the combat sports world. Tsarukyan has also found himself at the center of controversy under the RAF banner.
His feud with Georgio Poullas went viral following a heated encounter at RAF 6, where tensions erupted after Tsarukyan landed illegal strikes following the final bell, sparking a massive team brawl. While Tsarukyan continues to stay active in grappling competitions, Makhachev remains focused solely on his UFC career. After capturing the welterweight title at UFC 322 last year, the former lightweight champion is now preparing for the first defense of his 170-pound crown against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in Philadelphia.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.