Hailing from a land where English isn’t the first language certainly comes with challenges and perks. The challenge is the usual inability to converse with most of the people during international meets. And the perk is being able to be known as a multilingual, once you learn English. The same was true for Arman Tsarukyan. 

While he does speak pretty good English, his accent gives away his multilingual capacities. Do you want to know about the languages he can converse in? Join us as we explore ‘Ahalkalakets’s communication tools. 

Arman Tsarukyan’s languages

Arman Tsarukyan has spent most of his life in Russia, even though he was born into an Armenian family in Georgia. This means that the #1 lightweight contender is well-versed in Russian. And it was highlighted during the UFC 300 Q&A ceremony. A fan from Russia relied on his native language to ask, “Arman, that girl sitting next to you. How many times would you give her your d—, bro? Be honest.” And it was Kayla Harrison who was sitting beside the lightweight fighter. Of course, ‘Ahalkalakets’ hesitated before replying to the fan’s obscene question. He answered, “A  couple” in fluent Russian.

Since Tsarukyan has roots in Armenia, we can certainly expect him to be fluent in Armenian. After all, the Indo-European language is the official language of the country. Although he moved to Russia at a young age, he was born in the Georgian town of Akhalkalaki. Owing to this, he might know a little bit of Georgian, as well.

But when it comes to the international podiums, Tsarukyan often gears up with English in his arsenal. That’s the language that Tsarukyan has used during his interviews in the UFC. But the beloved MMA reporter, Ariel Helwani, was once curious if ‘Ahalkalakets’ knew Arabic. During Tsarukyan’s appearance on ‘The MMA Hour’ back in June 2024, Helwani asked the question to the lightweight fighter. And the answer was a stern no. 

Well, since he knows a handful of languages, the fighting community has often wondered about the Tsarukyan’s background. And while we’re talking about the languages he speaks, let’s shine some light on the lightweight contender’s nationality and ethnic background as well. 

About Arman Tsarukyan’s background

As we saw earlier, Tsarukyan is an Armenian who moved to Russia while he was a kid. His father managed his construction business and had to move to Khabarovsk for work. His mother, on the other hand, took care of the home, which included the lightweight fighter’s brother, Arthur, and sister, Isabella. When he came to Russia, he fell in love with the country’s forest lands and mountains. He did prefer Russian people to interact with. 

That’s the reason why he’s usually seen with 2 flags on his shoulders – Russian and Armenian. Weighing in on this, he once said, “I love Russia. I like living there, I’ve lived there all my life. As for the flag, I think the Armenian flag represents me best because I am one hundred percent Armenian. I tell everyone: I am a Russian fighter, but I represent Armenia. I am motivated when I see Armenians in the stands, the flags of Armenia and Russia. At moments like these, I know that no one can defeat me this evening. I will win or die.”

Now, Tsarukyan is set to compete against Islam Makhachev for the lightweight championship belt at UFC 311. No doubt, the Armenian fighter would do his best to settle the score against the Dagestani champion in the rematch. But the outcome of the fight is something that only time can tell. 

What are your thoughts on Tsarukyan’s multilingual skills? Do you think he can provoke Makhachev in Russian before the fight? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.