Arman Tsarukyan’s next fight is a wrestling match, not a cage fight: he headlines RAF14 against Dillon Danis on Friday, October 23, 2026, at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Then, 22 days later, he returns to the mat in Abu Dhabi to face Neiman Gracie. So the honest answer to the Arman Tsarukyan next fight question has two parts, and neither of them happens inside the Octagon.
That matters because Tsarukyan is the No. 2 ranked lightweight in the UFC and is coming off a first-round stoppage. Instead of waiting for a title call, he is filling the gap with two Real American Freestyle bookings, and the Arman Tsarukyan next fight schedule is now packed.
Arman Tsarukyan next fight dates at a glance
| Event | Date | Opponent | Venue | Billing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAF14 | Oct 23, 2026, 9:00 PM EST | Dillon Danis | Fontainebleau Las Vegas | Main event, middleweight championship match |
| RAF Abu Dhabi | Nov 14, 2026, 8:00 PM GST | Neiman Gracie | Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi | Co-main event, catchweight crossover |
Both cards stream on FOX Nation, according to the official RAF14 event page. In Las Vegas, the Armenian sits at the top of a stacked bill; Khamzat Chimaev vs Robbie Lawler is the co-main, and UFC middleweight Brendan Allen meets Alexander Shlemenko further down. In Abu Dhabi the roles flip. Chimaev and Colby Covington headline for a cruiserweight crossover title while Tsarukyan and Gracie hold the second slot.
Where his UFC record stands after Ruffy
His last fight came at UFC 331 on September 19, 2026, when he finished Mauricio Ruffy at 4:56 of the opening round. The UFC athlete profile lists him at 24-3, with 10 knockouts, six submissions and eight decisions. He is also No. 13 on the pound-for-pound list.
The run behind that number is what makes him a contender:
- Mauricio Ruffy, UFC 331: stopped at 4:56 of the first round
- Dan Hooker, November 22, 2025: tapped to an arm-triangle choke at 3:34 of the second
- Charles Oliveira, UFC 300: won on a split decision after three rounds
- Beneil Dariush, December 2, 2023: KO/TKO in 64 seconds
Read that list and a pattern jumps out. Three of those four wins ended inside the distance, and the one that went the full 15 minutes was against Charles Oliveira on the UFC 300 card. The UFC has not announced a date or opponent for his next Octagon appearance, so for now the Arman Tsarukyan next fight on the calendar belongs to RAF.
Why a lightweight contender keeps booking wrestling matches
Mixing RAF dates around each Arman Tsarukyan next fight in the UFC is not new. The RAF schedule shows him in three earlier events this year: Georgio Poullas at RAF07 in Tampa on March 28, Urijah Faber at RAF08 in Philadelphia on April 18 and Covington at RAF11 in Milwaukee on July 18. The official RAF11 card lists Covington as the winner of that main event.
For a fighter whose game starts with takedowns and top pressure, freestyle matches work as live rounds against people trying hard to stop him. They keep him busy between UFC bookings without the strikes that come with MMA. The obvious risk is load. Two competitive wrestling bouts inside 22 days, starting about five weeks after a UFC fight, is a heavy autumn for anyone.
Dillon Danis at RAF14
Danis, 33, is no newcomer to RAF; he faced Chimaev at RAF10 in St. Louis on June 13. Now he gets the top slot opposite a man listed at 30. The RAF billing calls it a middleweight championship match, which puts a belt on the line rather than a simple exhibition.
Neiman Gracie at RAF Abu Dhabi
Gracie, 37 and from Rio de Janeiro, brings the most famous surname in jiu-jitsu to a ruleset built around wrestling. His last RAF outing did not go his way, since Sharaputdin Magomedov beat him at RAF Moscow on September 5 at cruiserweight. Against Tsarukyan he meets an active wrestler who will be competing for the second time in three weeks, which could cut either way.
Neither RAF event page spells out a scoring breakdown or match length, so readers should check the broadcast for the exact format on the night.
What the RAF bouts do and don’t change for his title hopes
On paper, nothing. Whatever happens in the Arman Tsarukyan next fight on October 23, wrestling results do not move UFC rankings, and his No. 2 spot rests on the four-fight run above. What the matches can change is availability. A clean pair of wins keeps him sharp and visible heading into 2027, while an injury on the mat would push any UFC return back.
For the Octagon, the Arman Tsarukyan next fight is still a blank page. No opponent, no event and no target date have been announced, and any title talk remains speculation until the promotion says otherwise.
For more on the Abu Dhabi bill, see our look at Zabit Magomedsharipov’s RAF wrestling return, or revisit his claim that he would beat a prime Khabib.
Frequently asked questions
When is Arman Tsarukyan’s next fight?
His next scheduled bout is October 23, 2026, against Dillon Danis in the RAF14 main event in Las Vegas. He then faces Neiman Gracie at RAF Abu Dhabi on November 14.
Where can I watch Tsarukyan vs Danis?
RAF14 streams on FOX Nation, with the card listed for 9:00 PM EST on October 23 at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
Is Arman Tsarukyan’s next fight in the UFC?
No. Both of his announced bouts are Real American Freestyle wrestling matches, and the UFC has not announced his next Octagon fight.
What to watch from Tsarukyan this autumn
Watch how much he gives in Las Vegas with Abu Dhabi only three weeks behind it. If he controls Danis and walks out healthy, the Arman Tsarukyan next fight conversation shifts quickly back to the UFC, and the promotion will have little reason to keep its No. 2 lightweight waiting.