Arman Tsarukyan reflects on viral grappling match with Khamzat Chimaev: “I thought he knew wrestling, but not like this"

Arman Tsarukyan has shared his thoughts on the grappling match against Khamzat Chimaev which recently went viral online. 'Borz' featured as a coach on a Russian spin-off of 'The Ultimate Fighter', called 'Hardcore Fighting Reality Show', with the lightweight contender appearing as a special guest.

During his appearance on the show, Tsarukyan faced Chimaev in a submission-only grappling match. With both fighters regarded as elite wrestlers, their clash saw numerous high-level scrambles for fans to enjoy.

However, the physical advantage that 'Borz' had over his opponent showed itself several times as he was able to dominate the match with strength, as well as world-class technique. That said, the middleweight was unable to secure a submission win.

During the Armenian's recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, he reflected on the grappling match with Chimaev, saying:

"He's tough, strong, big. But it was a submission only [match]. I just wanted to not give him the submission and for it to be a draw... But if you were to count the takedowns and control, he got more than me."

He continued:

"Yeah, he's tough. He's really tough. I thought he knew wrestling, but not like this."

Check out Arman Tsarukyan discuss Khamzat Chimaev below (21:10):

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Khamzat Chimaev explains his surprise about Arman Tsarukyan accepting their grappling match

Khamzat Chimaev and Luke Rockhold featured as respective coaches of the 'Hardcore Fighting Reality Show'.

The pair of coaches, both regarded for their elite grappling skills, were involved in a grappling match during the season, where 'Borz' submitted the former UFC champion.

But Chimaev was also involved in a submission grappling match with lightweight title contender Arman Tsarukyan. During an episode of the show, the Chechen-born fighter explained why he was surprised that Tsarukyan accepted the bout.

"Can't argue, he weighs less than me. In wrestling, Arman himself knows our level... It was a surprise for me that Arman agreed to fight me on camera. I was sure that I would win and it happened."

Check out Khamzat Chimaev discuss Arman Tsarukyan below: