Armenian fighters earn impressive victories at Rkena FC 3 in Tbilisi

On May 16, a major mixed martial arts event, Rkena FC 3, took place in Tbilisi. Two Armenian fighters from Georgia — Rubik Vardanyan and Meruzhan Palyan — competed at the event. Both athletes claimed early stoppage victories and made a strong statement on the Georgian MMA scene.

Undefeated Rubik Vardanyan continued his successful run in professional MMA. The fighter, who now holds a 5-0 record, defeated Colombian opponent Juan Trujillo by submission in the first round.

This victory is especially valuable considering the level of the opponent. Trujillo entered the fight with a 6-2 record, had previously become a champion of the Predator league, and also had experience competing in ONE FC. Despite that, Vardanyan quickly imposed his grappling and finished the bout ahead of schedule.

Meruzhan Palyan also earned an impressive victory. The Armenian fighter defeated Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Mendebayev by knockout in the second round. After this success, Palyan improved his professional record to 5-2.

Mendebayev was also a difficult opponent. The Kazakh fighter had a 3-2 record and is a GAMMA world vice-champion, but Palyan managed to deliver a powerful performance and finish the fight early.

The main event of Rkena FC 3 featured Raul Tutarauli against Chris Gonzalez. In the headline bout of the evening, Tutarauli, one of Georgia’s most well-known fighters, defeated the American and improved his record to 38-8.