UFC lightweight division’s No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan earned a submission victory over Mehdi Baydulaev at the ACBJJ 20 grappling tournament in Moscow, finishing the bout with 13 seconds remaining under No-Gi jiu-jitsu rules. The win secured Tsarukyan the ACBJJ “Stars Belt” title and marked another successful appearance outside the UFC for the Armenian fighter.
The bout took place as the main event of ACBJJ 20, with Baydulaev stepping in as a late replacement after Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov withdrew from the matchup.
From the opening exchanges, Tsarukyan dictated the pace of the contest, maintaining positional control and steady pressure on the ground. The decisive moment came in the closing seconds, when he locked in a submission and forced Baydulaev to tap out with 13 seconds remaining.
Following the finish, Tsarukyan celebrated the victory with his family in attendance, including his father, who reacted emotionally to the submission. Tsarukyan also showed visible excitement after the bout, sharing the moment with his family inside the arena.
With the victory, Tsarukyan added the ACBJJ “Stars Belt” to his résumé, marking another successful grappling appearance outside the UFC.
Another Armenian fighter also recorded a victory earlier in the night. Eduard Vartanyan defeated Yusuf Raisov in a combat jiu-jitsu bout at ACBJJ 20, earning a unanimous decision from the judges. The matchup marked a rematch between the two fighters, who previously faced each other in the lightweight semifinal of the ACA Grand Prix, where Vartanyan won by technical knockout.
Tsarukyan is now set to travel to Yerevan, where he will compete again on December 30. He is scheduled to face Sharabutdin Magomedov, also known as Shara Bullet, in a grappling bout at the inaugural Hype Fighting League event at the Karen Demirchyan Sports and Concert Complex.
Ahead of his bout in Moscow, Tsarukyan also told reporters that following his grappling appearances in Moscow and Yerevan this month, he plans to shift his focus back to the UFC. He confirmed that he will prepare to serve as the official backup fighter for the interim lightweight title bout between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324, scheduled for January 24 in Las Vegas.
