UFC Hall of Famer Matt Serra made a recent appearance on the JRE MMA Show alongside fellow athletes Din Thomas and John Rallo. The panel turned their attention to a video of Arman Tsarukyan applying an RNC on an untrained civilian for far longer than anyone at the table felt was necessary.
The video, which had been circulating online, showed Tsarukyan applying the choke on what appeared to be a friend seated on a couch. As the group watched the footage together, Serra immediately voiced concern.
“Do tell me if you think it’s too long?” he said as the video played.
Moments later, Rogan focused on the physical vulnerability of the person being choked. “That guy’s neck makes me sad,” he said.
As the footage continued, it became clear to everyone in the room that the man had lost consciousness well before Tsarukyan released the hold. Serra pointed it out in real time.
“Now, he’s out right,” he said.
The man then lost consciousness completely, yet Tsarukyan continued to maintain the choke. Someone else in the room reacted with alarm.
“Yo, let go man. What are you doing?” the person said.
Serra’s tone shifted from concern to outright criticism as the seconds passed. “He’s out already. I mean, for how long?” he said.
Joe Rogan also reacted strongly to what he was seeing. “That’s really crazy. That’s so unnecessary,” Rogan said.
As the video played further, Rogan admitted the situation was more serious than he initially expected. “Yeah, that’s a lot worse than I thought it was going to be,” he said.
Serra then acknowledged the uncomfortable mood the footage had created. “Sorry, guys. I ha te to bring the room down,” he said.
Rogan followed up with his observation about Tsarukyan’s awareness in the moment. “But the crazy thing is Arman knows he was out right away,” he said.
He continued, emphasizing how obvious the physical mismatch appeared to him from the start.
“That guy’s neck looks like it’s never been choked. I felt sad for what he was going to do to it when I saw his neck,” Rogan said. “His neck is making me feel sad because I know that’s going to hurt.”
The panel also acknowledged that this was not a one-off incident for Tsarukyan, referencing an earlier video of a similar nature. Serra noted that holding a choke beyond the point of unconsciousness is widely considered dangerous and unnecessary in grappling situations.
“He kept it on too long,” Serra said. “Whenever they keep it on when the guy’s already sleeping for too long, it’s like, yo, what are you doing? You got to know he’s out.”
Despite the criticism, Rogan made it clear that he still holds Tsarukyan’s abilities in high regard as an athlete.
“Arman’s grip is so incredible, man. I’m just very impressed with him, man. Very impressed with his grappling,” Rogan said. “I just wish he could keep it together.”
Tsarukyan has long been considered one of the top contenders at 155 pounds, with many believing a world title remains within reach.
