Arman Tsarukyan is set for his next challenge as he returns to action this weekend. UFC Vegas 66 will feature Sean Strickland vs Jared Cannonier in the main event. The lightweight prospect will fight in the co-main event of the card and will take on Damir Ismagulov.
Damir Ismagulov is the 12th-ranked lightweight fighter in the UFC. The Russian mixed martial artist has been building up a lot of momentum since joining the UFC. Although he flies under the radar for a lot of fans, the bout against Arman Tsarukyan will surely bring a lot of attention to this gem of a fighter.
Tsarukyan vs. Ismagulov pic.twitter.com/fkLIisSXPT
— MMA mania (@mmamania) December 16, 2022
Ismagulov beat Guram Kutateladze during his last outing inside the Octagon in June. But, his next opponent, Arman Tsarukyan is coming off a heartbreaking loss to Mateusz Gamrot. The bout was perhaps the best display of an entertaining grappling contest in the Octagon. Although Tsarukyan thought he won, he lost the bout on the judges’ cards.
A victory against Damir Ismagulov would be a nice way to get back to the win column. Can he get the job done this Saturday? Let’s break down the bout.
UFC Vegas 66 Prediction: Arman Tsarukyan vs Damir Ismagulov, Stats
Stats | Arman Tsarukyan | Damir Ismagulov |
---|---|---|
Wins | 18 | 24 |
Losses | 3 | 1 |
Height | 5 ft 11 in | 5 ft 11 in |
Division | Lightweight | Lightweight |
Reach | 184.2 cm | 188 cm |
Age | 26 | 31 |
Can Tsarukyan get back to winning ways at UFC Vegas 66?
As the fans saw in his last fight, Arman Tsarukyan is an amazing grappler. He is good enough to go toe to toe with any other elite grapplers in the division. Alongside his striking, the Armenian-Russian fighter has a good striking game as well. The 26-year-old has 5 submission wins and 7 knockout wins in his career.
Damir Ismagulov, on the other hand, is very heavy on striking. Although he is yet to win a bout in the UFC via stoppage, Damir has 12 KOs and 1 submission win in his MMA career. But, he has shown that he can take down his opponent when he wants to. Damir averages 1.40 takedowns per fight in the Octagon. He also has an insane 90% takedown defense.
On average, Damir manages to hit his opponent with 4.05 strikes per minute while absorbing only 2.56 strikes. So Damir Ismagulov has the ability to smother his opponents both in terms of striking and grappling. During his bout against Rafael Alves, Rafael knocked Damir down. But the 31-year-old managed to survive it and win the bout convincingly.
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So Qazak is not someone who easily quits and his 19-fight win streak just proves it. But Arman also has the tools to give Damir a lot of problems with constant pressure.
Tsarukyan can always rely on his elite grappling skills to make sure that his opponents think twice before letting their guard down. Although Damir is the bigger guy, Arman Tsarukyan is much younger and has fought better fighters. Hence, he will be the smart pick to win this weekend.