22-year-old prospect Arman Tsarukyan earned his first victory inside the Octagon tonight at UFC 240 by outgrappling Olivier Aubin-Mercier to win onn the scorecards.
Round One:
Leg kick from Aubin-Mercier. Right hand for Tsarukyan and then another behind it. Tsarukyan goes for a takedown and gets OAM to his knees just for a split second.
Back to striking range they go. OAM with a head kick, but Tsarukyan catches it and tries to take him down again. Aubin-Mercier stays upright, but Tsarukyan works for another takedown against the cage.
Very good takedown defense being shown by OAM for now. Tsarukyan goes back to striking range. Punch for Aubin-mercier. Head kick attempt from Tsarukyan is blocked.
Axe kick attempt from Tsarukyan. Knee from OAM lands upstairs. Hard body kick for OAM, but Tsarukyan catches it and then takes Aubin-Mercier down to his knees. OAM back up, but Tsarukyan drags him back down. Aubin-Mercier still on his knees though and looking to stand against the cage.
Short punches for Tsarukyan. OAM gets up, Tsarukyan drags him down, but only for a moment. OAM to one knee again. Tsarukyan Trying to secure Aubin-Mercier’s back. Short punch to the head. Knees to the leg for Tsarukyan. He’s racking up these knees high to the thigh, then finally peels away after an elbow strike. OAM just misses with a knee as the round ends.
Round Two:
Body kick for OAM. Spinning kick from Tsarukyan. Head kick attempt that’s blocked. Punch to the body for Aubin-Mercier. Body-head combo for Tsarukyan. Solid body kick for OAM.
Tsarukyan working a single leg, but OAM defends well and works for a takedown of his own against the cage. Trip from Aubin-Mercier, but Tsarukyan gets right back up and moves to the center of the Octagon.
Missed head kick from Tsarukyan. Punch for Aubin-Mercier. Kicks to the body for OAM. Good strike for Tsarukyan, but then OAM lands a big knee upstairs and Tsarukyan tries to go for a takedown while he recovers from that.
Back up to the feet they go. leg kick for Tsarukyan. Head kick attempt from OAM blocked. Single-leg attempt for Tsarukyan. Good takedown defense again from OAM.
He lets go of that. nice counter-punch from Tsarukyan as OAM tries to kick. Aubin-Mercier lands a kick now. Uppercut from Tsarukyan.
Nice left hook for Aubin-Mercier. Missed head kick from Tsarukyan. Body kick for OAM. Spinning backfist from Tsarukyan doesn’t quite connect. Body kick for Tsarukyan. Another one lands.
Round Three:
Good right hand for Tsarukyan to start. He lands it again. Now into a single-leg attempt, but OAM is fighting that off. Head kick attempt from Tsarukyan.
Left hook from Tsarukyan. Body kick from him. Good knee to the body from Aubin-Mercier and he works into the clinch against the cage.
Knees to the body from Tsarukyan as he fends off this takedown, but then Aubin-Mercier tries for a throw that doesn’t work out as Tsarukyan ends up onn top.
Tsarukyan in OAM’s guard here. Tsarukyan postures up and drops back down with a single punch. Elbow strike from the bottom for OAM, but then Tsarukyan rattles him with a couple of elbows of his own.
Tsarukyan with a couple of punches and now trying to pass to half guard, but isn’t able to, so he postures up again. OAM trying for a triangle choke attempt, but Tsarukyan is wise to that.
Short punch from Tsarukyan and then an elbow. OAM trying to land the elbow too. Right hand then an elbow for Tsarukyan. Another hard elbow connects. Half-guard for Tsarukyan and looking for more elbows as the round ends.
Decision:
Good performance from Tsarukyan here, not finding as much success with striking as he might have hoped, but doing well to outgrapple Aubin-Mercier to earn a unanimous decision victory (29-28 x3).
