Arman Tsarukyan's old photos without a beard send waves through MMA social media: "He had such a punchable face"

An old picture of Arman Tsarukyan recently resurfaced on a Red Corner MMA Instagram post, and fans have been taken aback by the surging UFC lightweight's previous appearance. The pictures were snapped over a decade ago when Tsarukyan was just 16 years old, before the start of his MMA career.

The most notable difference between Tsarukyan then and Tsarukyan now, besides his improved and more mature physique, is his lack of a beard. At the time, he was clean-shaven. Now, he is fully bearded, so fans were astonished by how different he looked back then.

One user poked fun at how young Tsarukyan looked, saying:

"Bro looks like he's 13 years old"

Another user remarked on Tsarukyan's face:

"He had such a punchable face and still has."

Another user pointed out his use of shorts patterned after the Brazilian flag, which is interesting given his recent split-decision win over Charles Oliveira.

"Brasil shorts"

A collage of fan reactions can be seen below:

Fan reactions to Arman Tsarukyan without a beard

At the time, Tsarukyan was just two or three years away from making his professional MMA debut, which was a successful outing that saw him TKO Shamil Olokhanov. Now, he is one of the most promising lightweights on the UFC roster, who gave reigning champion Islam Makhachev one of the toughest fights of his career, albeit a few years ago. Despite his best efforts, Tsarukyan lost the fight via unanimous decision, and has been determined to right that wrong in a rematch ever since.

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Arman Tsarukyan may get to kill two birds with one stone at UFC 311

Arman Tsarukyan has always wanted to avenge his past loss to Islam Makhachev. Additionally, he also wants to capture the UFC lightweight title. At UFC 311, he could have the chance to do both, as he is expected to face the Dagestani phenom in a rematch six years in the making.

The title challenger heads into UFC 311, scheduled for Jan. 18, 2025, on a four-fight win streak, featuring wins over a former champion in Charles Oliveira and top contender in Beneil Dariush, the latter of whom he knocked out.