UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan defeated Indian fitness influencer Ankit Baiyanpuria at Hype Armenia in Yerevan. He won by armbar submission in under three minutes. The championship grappling match marked Tsarukyan’s return to winning ways after his first-ever loss last month.
Tsarukyan Makes Quick Work of Baiyanpuria in Yerevan
Arman Tsarukyan wasted no time against Ankit Baiyanpuria on August 1. The bout took place at the Tashir Arena in Yerevan, Armenia. Right away, the 29-year-old UFC lightweight star secured back-to-back takedowns within the opening two minutes, and his home crowd roared through both.
The bout followed Submission Only rules. This meant only a joint lock or choke could end the fight. As a result, judges played no role in the outcome.
Baiyanpuria escaped Tsarukyan’s early submission attempts. Soon after, though, Tsarukyan came out aggressively. He hoisted his much bigger opponent onto his shoulders and slammed him to the canvas with a suplex.
From that position, Tsarukyan immediately locked in an armbar. Baiyanpuria had no answer and tapped out within seconds. In the end, the fight lasted roughly three minutes.
We had covered the build-up to this clash earlier, tracing Baiyanpuria’s journey from the 75 Hard Challenge to sharing the mat with a UFC contender.
Championship Belt Defended for the First Time
Tsarukyan entered the contest as the reigning Hype FC champion. Earlier this year, he won the title with a rear-naked choke finish over Muhammad Mokaev at Hype Brazil. So the Baiyanpuria bout marked his first defence of that belt.
With this win, Tsarukyan retains his Hype FC championship. At the same time, he extends his dominant run across grappling and wrestling exhibitions outside the UFC octagon.
Who Is Ankit Baiyanpuria
Baiyanpuria is a former Haryanvi, India wrestler turned fitness influencer. He rose to fame after documenting the Indian version of the 75 Hard Challenge on social media. Initially, he honed his grappling skills in local akharas, and later trained in combat hubs including Thailand and Dagestan, Russia.
His online following runs into the millions. Reports cite figures between 8.2 million followers on Instagram and over 12 million across all platforms. Despite this massive fan base, however, Baiyanpuria had no professional MMA record or officially recognised grappling record heading into the match.
According to Baiyanpuria, his goal went beyond the result itself. Speaking to India Today ahead of the contest, he expressed hope of showing that India holds considerable untapped talent in combat sports.
In 2023, following the success of his fitness challenge, Baiyanpuria also met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of the Swachhata Hi Seva cleanliness campaign.
A Quick Return After First-Ever Career Loss
The win comes just weeks after Tsarukyan suffered his first defeat under any combat discipline in over four years. Former UFC welterweight title challenger Colby Covington narrowly beat him in a RAF Wrestling freestyle bout last month.
That loss snapped a lengthy unbeaten run for Tsarukyan across MMA, wrestling and grappling formats. Meanwhile, his swift return to winning ways in Yerevan should boost his confidence ahead of a busy stretch outside the octagon.
UFC Absence and Oliveira Talks
Tsarukyan has not fought inside the UFC octagon since November 2025, when he defeated Dan Hooker. Despite the layoff from mixed martial arts, though, he has stayed one of the most active fighters in combat sports overall. In fact, he has competed 12 times in grappling and wrestling matches during this period.
Reports have also linked Tsarukyan to a potential rematch against former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. UFC 331 has emerged as a possible destination for that bout, and the BMF title reportedly won’t be on the line. So far, the promotion has not confirmed the fight.
Massive Crowd and Viewership in Armenia
The event drew a huge reception in Tsarukyan’s home country. Thousands of fans packed the Tashir Arena to watch the contest live. Meanwhile, more than 300,000 viewers tuned in on broadcaster W TV.
As he walked out for the main event, Tsarukyan received a hero’s welcome, reflecting his standing as one of the most popular fighters in the world right now. Throughout the night, the card featured a mix of disciplines, and bare-knuckle boxing, dirty boxing and submission grappling bouts built up to the main event.
Full Hype Armenia Card Results
Several other bouts also took place on the undercard through the evening:
- Lev Sarkisyan vs Krishan Saroha ended in a draw
- Ibragim “Nikarho” Islamov beat David Khachatryan via split decision
- Francesco Morandi beat Usman “Strannik” via TKO in round two
- Abdumalik “ABBI” Yerbutayev beat Khair Zokirov via TKO in round one
- Rafael “Buffalo” Abrahamyan beat Oleg “Berserk” Udod via TKO in round two
- Raja Yadav beat Vipin Yadav via TKO in round two
What’s Next
Attention now turns to the reported Charles Oliveira rematch talks. Fans want to know if these talks progress toward an official UFC 331 announcement. If confirmed, the fight would mark Tsarukyan’s first UFC octagon appearance since November 2025, following a year largely spent on grappling and wrestling exhibitions.
For Baiyanpuria, on the other hand, this outing marks his combat sports debut on a major stage. Whether he continues in professional MMA or returns to fitness content still remains unclear. Still, his stated ambition suggests he plans to keep exploring combat sports further.
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