"It was a surprise for me" - Khamzat Chimaev reacts to grappling with Arman Tsarukyan live on camera at Hype Fighting event

Khamzat Chimaev and Arman Tsarukyan's stint on the Russian reality show 'Hype Reality 3' culminated in a grappling contest. The show follows a similar format to 'The Ultimate Fighter'. Chimaev and Tsarukyan served as rival coaches on the Russian version.

Recently, Hype Fighting released the full video of a grappling contest between the two on YouTube. Chimaev had his way with Tsarukyan owing to his dominant wrestling and massive size advantage. The 30-year-old 'Borz' controlled Tsarukyan on the mat and trapped him into a tight anaconda choke.

After the friendly competition ended, Chimaev praised Tsarukyan for fighting him on camera, even though he must have been aware of the outcome beforehand:

"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 I would win and that happened."

Check out the video below:

Tsarukyan was aware of his limitations, primarily due to the massive size difference, and said before the contest:

"I will try to defend myself, avoid getting choked because it's just submission only. And because of this, I will just work as a second number. But if I get the chance to choke or grab the neck, I will take it. My task is to defend. He is huge, it's hard to take him down."

Unfortunately for Tsarukyan, Chimaev did not present the opportunity and handily defeated him.

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UFC title shot is within reach for Khamzat Chimaev and Arman Tsarukyan

Khamzat Chimaev and Arman Tsarukyan are on the verge of achieving the rare feat of winning the UFC title. Chimaev surged into the top three of the middleweight division with a first-round submission win over Robert Whittaker at UFC 308. He is now a frontrunner for the title shot against champion Dricus du Plessis alongside former title holder Sean Strickland.

Meanwhile, Tsarukyan, the No.1-ranked lightweight contender, is expected to fight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 in January. However, the UFC is yet to make the bout official. The pair previously competed in April 2019 when Makhachev earned a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Tsarukyan, who accepted the fight on short notice and was making his UFC debut.