UFC star Arman Tsarukyan (22-3) continues his active run in grappling competitions: on May 31, he will face former Bellator lightweight champion, Brazilian Patricky "Pitbull" Freire (25-13), in a catchweight bout. The match will take place at the ADXC 10 tournament in Moscow.
It is worth noting that recently, on May 2 in Dubai, Tsarukyan defeated Makasharip Zainukov in a grappling match. Now, he will face a more experienced and decorated opponent — 39-year-old Freire, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master and Bellator veteran. Patricky last competed in MMA on June 21, 2024, at the PFL 5 event, where he lost to Bruno Miranda via split decision.
Tsarukyan previously explained why he decided to focus on grappling while awaiting clarity in the UFC’s lightweight division.
"I'm not in the UFC title race right now, I need to wait and see what Islam Makhachev decides. If he moves to welterweight, I’ll fight for the interim lightweight belt. If he stays, I’ll have to fight in a contender bout again, possibly against Oliveira or Gaethje. But while everything is uncertain, I decided to feel the competitive spirit again and stay in shape with this match," Tsarukyan said before the bout with Zainukov.
Tickets for ADXC 10 featuring Arman Tsarukyan are now on sale