Arman Tsarukyan reveals that Khabib Nurmagomedov was his biggest MMA inspiration

UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan has revealed that Khabib Nurmagomedov was his biggest MMA inspiration growing up.

As we know, Khabib Nurmagomedov is an absolute legend within the world of mixed martial arts. He has achieved things that few would’ve thought possible, which includes completing his career with an unbeaten record of 29-0. Even some of the greatest to ever do it haven’t managed to go to an entire career unbeaten, which speaks volumes.

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Of course, Khabib has been retired for nearly five years now, and he doesn’t seem to be at all interested in breaking that retirement. With that being said, the influence he’s had on the sport – and the lightweight division – is still being felt today. Up until recently, his close friend and training partner Islam Makhachev was the lightweight champion, a spot that many always believed he’d end up in.

One man who is currently a top contender at 155 pounds is Arman Tsarukyan. In a recent interview, Arman spoke openly about how much he admired what Khabib was able to accomplish in his career.

Tsarukyan praises Khabib

“I’ve got a lot of favorite fighters that I watch their fights always to see how they move, how they wrestle,” Tsarukyan said on the “Out Cold” podcast. “But if we say who inspired me when I was young, it was Khabib because he is from Russia and I’m from Russia, as well. I live there. When I started training MMA, he was a goal for us. He wasn’t the champ at that moment, but he was so famous.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

Do you believe we will see Arman Tsarukyan become a UFC world champion at some point in his career? If not, why is that? Let us know your thoughts on this, BJPENN Nation!