UFC’s top lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan recently appeared with Ryan Garcia on a live broadcast, where he delivered a clear explanation of why wrestling stands apart from other combat sports.
During the discussion, the conversation turned to the reliability of wrestling compared to striking-based sports like boxing or MMA.
Tsarukyan laid out his perspective, saying, “In wrestling, if the guy is better than the other one, it’s impossible to lose.”
He expanded on the idea by contrasting wrestling with the unpredictability of striking exchanges.
“For example, in boxing or in the UFC… one punch can happen, but in wrestling nothing can happen,” he explained. “Because wrestling is all… point.”
Tsarukyan then illustrated the randomness that can define striking sports. “So in boxing, he is better than me, right? In the boxing. But you never know, he just missed one punch and I knock him out, right?” he said. “But in freestyle wrestling, it’s impossible. Because it’s all points, right? It’s all points and there is no risk.”
Garcia pushed back slightly, pointing out one potential finishing mechanism. “But you can pin somebody,” he noted.
Tsarukyan acknowledged the possibility but maintained that superior skill still controls the outcome. “You can just hold him, you know,” he said. “If you have better skill, he’s never going to get points from you.”
“Oh, wow,” Garcia replied, clearly impressed by the logic behind the explanation.
The argument Tsarukyan presented is quite relevant. Striking sports carry inherent volatility as one mistake can erase rounds of dominance. Wrestling, by contrast, is typically a cumulative, control-based discipline where superiority tends to reveal itself steadily on the scoreboard rather than in a single dramatic exchange.
As for any potential boxing crossover, Tsarukyan suggested a timeline far down the road. “Maybe in seven years. When I’m like 35, 36. When I’m done with UFC. I would do like a spar, like with guys like influencers,” he said.
For now, Tsarukyan remains focused on his pursuit of the UFC lightweight title.
