Arman Tsarukyan: The Armenian Batman Who Didn’t Even Know Batman

By Timothy Wheaton

, Low Kick MMA

Arman Tsarukyan’s rise in the UFC lightweight division is dramatic, improbable, and – if fans are to be believed – distinctly superheroic. But the man now sometimes called “The Armenian Batman” wasn’t initially in on the joke.

Arman Tsarukyan – The Armenian Batman

It all started with a line of questioning from Mike Perry, who asked Tsarukyan what he thought about fans labeling him the “Armenian Batman – like Bruce Wayne.” Arman’s response? A confession worthy of its own comic panel: “I didn’t know who Batman was! I had to look it up – now I got Batman posters and even called Rolex for the Batman GMT watch!” That is a level of commitment to the bit that even Gotham’s caped crusader would admire.

Batman, as the world knows, is a billionaire playboy who leads a double life cleaning up the mean streets of Gotham. Tsarukyan, as it turns out, can relate to at least half that description. Born into an Armenian family, Arman’s dad was a construction mogul, and money, by combat sports standards, was not in short supply.

When pressed about his privileged background on Perry’s podcast, Tsarukyan barely missed a beat: apparently, brash confidence and a healthy sense of humor come standard in the Tsarukyan arsenal. Unlike Bruce Wayne, Arman didn’t grow up in a mansion brooding over a well-lit skyline, but he’s ended up just as universally recognized – at least to the MMA faithful.

And obviously, he’s come a long way since having to look up Batman on Google. Rolex’s famous “Batman GMT” watch, with its distinct blue and black bezel, found its way into his wish list – because if you’re going to live the part, you might as well accessorize like a billionaire vigilante.

But for all the superhero comparisons, Tsarukyan’s current position in the UFC lightweight division is very real, and anything but comic book fiction. As of July 2025, he’s perched near the top of the rankings – #2 officially, widely regarded as the rightful next title challenger.

It’s been a tumultuous year: after earning his title shot with a gritty win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 300, Tsarukyan was forced to pull out of the biggest fight of his career against Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 with a last-minute back injury -just a day before the weigh-ins. That blow would sideline lesser fighters, but Arman went straight back to work, showing up as backup at UFC 317 and jawing for another chance at gold.

The division, meanwhile, is as chaotic as ever. Ilia Topuria dethroned Oliveira and now sits atop the division’s throne, with contenders like Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett circling. Paddy isn’t on Arman’s Christmas card list: Tsarukyan has loudly insisted Pimblett’s resume is padded by streaks of aging or slumping opponents and has lobbied hard for the next title shot to be merit-based, not hype-driven.

Not everything has gone Tsarukyan’s way. UFC matchmaking remains an unsolved riddle; Gaethje, faced with a late-notice replacement fight, opted for Rafael Fiziev over a catchweight with Arman. Other fights fell apart thanks to the bad luck that seems to haunt anyone who ascends the 155-pound ladder.