Arman Tsarukyan picked up a dominant win at Real American Freestyle 9 on Saturday, defeating Keelon Jimison by technical fall with a 16-5 lead at the event on May 30, 2026.
The match also featured a flashpoint moment when Tsarukyan threw a headbutt at Jimison after being pushed. Tsarukyan later detailed his perspective on the sequence, saying, "He pushed my back and I don’t know why," and added, "The referee, we told him he pushed my back, I don’t know why and I headbutted liked a little bit to show, ‘Don’t play with me,’ you know? Like, ‘Why are you pushing me?’ Because it’s disrespectful, you know? And then I said, ‘Sorry, sorry.’ Because I didn’t, like, headbutt hard. Just a little bit, for him to know, like, don’t forget who I am."
Tsarukyan is already looking ahead to a busy schedule. He is scheduled to face Tony Ferguson in June and Colby Covington in July.
Beyond those bookings, Tsarukyan outlined his expectations around the upcoming fight between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje. "I’m waiting for the White House card, when [Topuria and Gaethje] are going to fight," he said. "And then they are going to announce my next fight, probably September, October, or end of this year." He added, "Ilia Topuria. I want to fight Ilia Topuria," and noted, "And everybody wants to see me versus Ilia. Everybody’s excited for that fight. Even me."
