Is Arman Tsarukyan Muslim or Christian? Everything About The Armenian Star’s Ethnicity And Religion

UFC fans have for years been asking about Arman Tsarukyan’s background. The Lightweight contender and the social media star was born in Georgia, raised in Russia and competes under the Armenian flag.

The combination of these factors can make his nationality and ethnic background a bit unclear, in particular for fans who know that Tsarukyan has spent a large part of his career training with fighters from the Caucasus.

There has also been some uncertainty regarding his religion since he is Christian, and is often seen training with muslim fighters. Let’s explore the background and faith of the UFC star.

What is Arman Tsarukyan’s Ethnicity?

Arman Tsarukyan is of Armenian ethnicity.

He was born in the town of Akhalkalaki in southern Georgia into an Armenian family. This town is located in the Javakheti region, an area which has a large Armenian population. His Dad Nairi Tsarukyan is a successful businessman and operates a construction company with roots spanning Georgia and Russia.

The fact that Tsarukyan grew up in Russia had no effect on his perception of his origins. Armenia has always been an important element of his identity and that is why he has decided to represent the country in his MMA career.

The Armenian flag has now become a common sight at Tsarukyan’s UFC events, and he has also mentioned that he would like to promote Armenia during his career.

What is Arman Tsarukyan’s Religion?

Arman Tsarukyan is Christian.

He stated this himself when talking to Ariel Helwani. As Helwani asked The Lightweight star about his faith on ‘The Ariel Helwani Show’, Arman clarified that he is Christian. He also explained that using phrases such as “salam alaikum” was simply his way of greeting people and did not mean he followed Islam.

The answer makes sense given the fact that Tsarukyan has spent a great deal of his fighting career in that environment. He has indeed trained with a number of Muslim fighters, especially during his period of work with fighters from the Caucasus.

At a certain stage, one of Tsarukyan’s coaches apparently thought that he was Muslim.

Tsarukyan said that he would reply to Islamic greetings and make use of the expressions which are commonly heard among his teammates. However, he did not at once prevent his coach from drawing that conclusion.

He didn’t explain that he was in fact a Christian until later. He has also talked about showing respect towards people from different religious backgrounds, which means that the incident seems to have been merely a misunderstanding.

Where was Arman Tsarukyan born?

Arman Tsarukyan was born in Akhalkalaki, Georgia.

Tsarukyan was born on October 11, 1996, in Akhalkalaki, Georgia. Even though Georgia is where he was born, he didn’t spend the majority of his childhood there. His family moved to Russia when he was about three years old and it was in Russia that Tsarukyan grew up.

The UFC gives Georgia as his place of birth, whereas a large part of Tsarukyan’s early life and his development as an athlete occurred in Russia.

In an Interview with Daniel Cormier on ‘The Daniel Cormier Show’ Arman said:

“I was born in Georgia and then I moved to Russia. So when I was 3 years old or 2 and a half years old. So but I remember my childhood from the from the from Russia.”

In the same interview, Tsarukyan also opened up about the financial struggles he and his family faced after moving to Russia.

“I was 12 years old.. Life changed. But from the seven was okay. But from the three to seven was was hard. We slept in the car, you know. We slept in the car. We didn’t have a house that moment, you know, was cold. I leave the cold place, too. So, and one Dagistani people, they said, “Oh, come and you can live with us. Don’t pay money. Just we stay with them like one year until we build our house.” And then we built our house and then we moved to the to the our house.”

Where did Arman Tsarukyan grow up?

While Tsarukyan was growing up, Russia was his home.

His family moved to Khabarovsk, and he took up sports when he was young. Although wrestling later became a significant part of his development as a fighter, MMA was not the only sport that he experimented with.

He stated that it was six years before he began to focus more seriously on combat sports that he had played ice hockey.

Speaking to MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference ahead of his bout with Mauricio Ruffy, Arman Tsarukyan revealed that hockey was once his biggest ambition.

“I wanted to be a hockey player. My dream was to go to the U.S. and play in the NHL. But I couldn’t be a good hockey player, and then I started working. I didn’t like working, and I became a fighter. Because of fighting, now I’m in U.S. and fighting in the best promotion in UFC. My hockey career was so good. I love hockey and when I have time even now sometimes I play.”

His experience in wrestling later became one of the most important aspects of his career as he moved on to a career in MMA.

Is Arman Tsarukyan Russian or Armenian?

Arman Tsarukyan is both Russian and Armenian. He was born in Akhalkalaki, Georgia, to Armenian parents. Later, he moved to Russia, where he grew up and started his MMA career. Tsarukyan holds Russian citizenship, but his heritage is Armenian. 

He holds both Russian and Armenian citizenship. Tsarukyan confirmed in 2024 that he had obtained an Armenian passport, giving him dual citizenship.

However, when it comes to his MMA career, Tsarukyan has been clear about how he sees himself. Explaining his decision to represent Armenia, he said:

“I am a Russian fighter, but I represent Armenia.”

He has also described himself as “one hundred percent Armenian” and said that the Armenian flag represents him best because of his heritage.

He was born in Georgia, spent most of his life in Russia, is Armenian by ethnicity, holds Russian and Armenian citizenship, and represents Armenia in the UFC.

Why does Arman Tsarukyan represent Armenia?

Arman Tsarukyan represents Armenia because of his heritage and family background. Although he was born in Georgia and later moved to Russia, his family comes from Armenia. 

Tsarukyan has spoken about his Armenian roots in interviews. He often talks about how important his Armenian identity is to him. This connection to his family’s homeland is why he chooses to represent Armenia in his career.

Speaking to Artem Tarasov in August 2024, he explained that he had spent his entire life in Russia but still wanted to represent Armenia.

“I am Armenian. I have never lived in Armenia, but I want to represent it, as there are no UFC fighters there. I have lived in Russia all my life. I grew up in Russia, and I finished school in Russia. I am a Russian fighter, but I represent Armenia. I want people to know about our small country. I want to show people that there is such a country as Armenia.”

After his UFC 300 win over Charles Oliveira, Tsarukyan spoke about the effect Armenian flags have on him in the arena.

“When I see Armenian flags, it motivates me a lot, you know, and I get excited.”

For Tsarukyan, representing Armenia is therefore closely tied to his Armenian identity and his desire to bring more attention to the country through his UFC career.