Bracing his knuckles and ready to unleash his powerful kicks, Arman Tsarukyan is gearing up for a showdown with Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title. But here’s the twist: unlike many UFC fighters who start their MMA journey in childhood, Tsarukyan had an entirely different aspiration before embracing the fight game. What’s that you might ask? Well, before stepping into the MMA world, the Armenian was an ice hockey player.

Yes, you heard that right, the number one lightweight contender used to play ice hockey in his teenage years. So, why did he leave the game? Was he not good enough? Let’s unravel the mystery.

All about Arman Tsarukyans’s hockey career: stats, record, etc

Many years ago, Arman Tsarukyan had a dream to play for an NHL team. According to the UFC lightweight, he played ice hockey for a decade before changing sports, “When I was young, I didn’t think about fighting. I was just playing hockey. I wanted to be an NHL player,” said Tsarukyan in a conversation with the media.

So, when exactly did the fighter start playing hockey? Tsarukyan said, “I started to play hockey when I was eight years old. I’ve been playing for about 10 years.” With a decade of experience, Arman Tsarukyan’s gameplay should have been good enough for him to play globally, so, why did he leave the sport?

“I wasn’t that good in hockey, and I knew I couldn’t be an NHL or KHL player. That’s why nobody bought me or invited me to a good team. Then I transitioned to MMA. Yeah, I fought a lot on the ice. My favorite hockey player is Alexander Ovechkin. My favorite team is Amur—it’s Russian,” said Tsarukyan in a conversation with Sportsnet.

It must be noted that he was also playing for Club Amur in their junior squad. Well, now that we know about his thoughts on ice hockey, let us know what are his predictions for the sport.

Arman Tsarukyan predicts the Stanley Cup

Despite leaving the sport for good, Arman Tsarukyan keeps himself updated with the latest trends in ice hockey.  While having a conversation with James Lynch, Tsarukyan emphasized that he still plays the sport in his free time, “Sometimes I play when I have spare time; it’s my favorite sport, you know.”

So, what’s his prediction about the Stanley Cup? “Ah, yes, Tampa! What’s it called? Tampa Lightning Bay?” When asked about which UFC fighter would be a better ice hockey player, Arman Tsarukyan without a thought emphasized that Jon Jones would be an amazing hockey player, “Because he is big, explosive and smart. “

The fighter has emphasized that once he retires from MMA, he plans to relax and return to ice hockey. Regardless, what are your thoughts on Tsarukyan and his journey? Share your opinions in the comments below!