Tsarukyan submits Mokaev at Hype Fighting tournament in Brazil

Russian fighter of Armenian origin Arman Tsarukyan defeated Britain’s Muhammad Mokaev at the Hype Fighting tournament in Rio de Janeiro.

The bout was held under grappling rules and ended with Tsarukyan securing a submission victory via choke, 2 minutes and 14 seconds before the conclusion of the ten‑minute match.

The tournament was supposed to feature a rematch between Tsarukyan and American Giorgio Pullas, whom the Russian defeated on March 1 at the Real American Freestyle (RAF) wrestling tournament in Tempe, Arizona. RAF CEO Chad Bronstein later announced that the rematch between the fighters would take place at the promotion’s event on March 28.

Tsarukyan, 29, was scheduled to face Islam Makhachev in January 2025 for the UFC lightweight championship but withdrew due to injury. His MMA record stands at 23 wins and 3 losses.

Mokaev, 25, remains undefeated in professional MMA with 16 wins, while one of his bouts was declared a no contest.