Arman Tsarukyan Next Fight 2026: Gracie Nov. 14, Gaethje Waits

Arman Tsarukyan shut out Dillon Danis 10-0 at RAF 14 on Oct. 23, and his next scheduled fight is another wrestling match: Neiman Gracie at RAF Abu Dhabi on Nov. 14. We found no announced UFC bout, and lightweight champion Justin Gaethje has not announced whether he will fight again. Here is the current state of the Arman Tsarukyan next fight picture as of Oct. 31, 2026.

Arman Tsarukyan next fight: Neiman Gracie on Nov. 14

Tsarukyan is booked to face Gracie in a catchweight crossover bout at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, the first RAF event in the UAE capital, per The National. The match will be contested under freestyle wrestling rules. Gracie is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist and a three-time World BJJ bronze medallist, per Gulf News, which lists his professional MMA record at 13-6.

The announcement did not give a catchweight limit, and the outlets do not agree on what is at stake. The National and Gulf News both describe the bout as non-title, and Middle Easy likewise wrote that it is not a title challenge. Yahoo Sports, in its RAF 14 live results, wrote that Tsarukyan "defends his newly won title" against Gracie. We lean toward non-title because three outlets say so, but treat the belt question as unconfirmed until RAF clarifies.

Either way, this is a grappling-first test, not a UFC fight. Tsarukyan, who carries an 11-2 UFC record and a 7-1 RAF record into the match per The National's pre-fight count, is also the UFC's No. 1 lightweight contender, which is why the Abu Dhabi date matters to the title picture.

What happened at RAF 14

Tsarukyan beat Danis by first-period technical fall, 10-0, in the main event at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, per Yahoo Sports. The win made him the first RAF middleweight crossover champion. He built the lead with a takedown and repeated gut wrenches, per the same report. Middle Easy wrote that the promotion's final record credited him with two takedowns and Danis with none, and that the match aired on Fox Nation.

The official time of the stoppage is not in the reports we could verify, so we are not printing one. The win moved Tsarukyan to 8-1 in RAF, and Danis fell to 0-3, per Yahoo Sports. Danis had lost to Colby Covington by technical fall and to Khamzat Chimaev by pinfall.

The finish got messy. Tsarukyan stepped on Danis as he got up, and security moved between them, per Middle Easy and Yahoo Sports. Jiu-Jitsu Mag wrote that both corners moved to the center until officials separated them. Middle Easy added that the two shook hands before the arm raise. The tension carried over from Thursday's press conference, where Jiu-Jitsu Mag reported Tsarukyan charged Danis after Danis displayed a shirt insulting Chimaev.

Where the UFC title shot stands

He beat Mauricio Ruffy by first-round KO (elbows) at 4:56 at UFC 331 on Sept. 19, per the official UFC.com results, which said the win cemented his standing as the No. 1 contender at 155 pounds. It was his sixth straight victory. Our UFC 331 results recap covers the full card.

Tsarukyan has since grown frustrated. "Someone is trying to duck me; it's Justin Gaethje," he said, per an Oct. 27 SI report syndicated by Yahoo Sports. He added: "Either UFC is going to pay him so much money that he's going to fight, or he's just going to retire."

He also named a deadline. Tsarukyan says the UFC will move forward with the lightweight division by the end of November, per the same report, though that timeline comes only from his own account. Middle Easy made the same point about his hopes for an early-2027 title shot: it is his description of discussions, not a signed bout.

The alternatives if Gaethje does not fight

Tsarukyan has a fallback. If Gaethje sits out, he said he would take featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski: "I think it's a good fight for me stylistically," per Yahoo Sports. Dana White said at the UFC 333 post-fight press conference that the UFC is open to Volkanovski fights before he retires, adding "So, we'll see how this whole thing plays out."

MMASucka, a lower-tier outlet, reported that Gaethje is serving a 180-day medical suspension and that his manager says the call on his next opponent rests with him. The same outlet reported that White has not committed to a date. Treat both as reported, not confirmed. It also relayed Joe Rogan's warning that a Gaethje rematch with Charles Oliveira would mean "denying Arman what he deserves." Oliveira defends his BMF belt against Diego Lopes at UFC 335, per that report.

Betting and odds impact

We could not find a dated, sourced line for Tsarukyan vs Gracie at any sportsbook, and none for a Tsarukyan vs Gaethje title fight since the UFC 331 weekend. Without a number we are not going to invent one.

When a price does post, the math is simple. Convert American odds to implied probability, then compare the two sides: if they sum to more than 100%, the excess is the book's margin. A favorite at -300 implies 75%, for example, and that is only an illustration of the formula, not a posted line.

For UFC fights that are actually booked, our UFC daily picks carry the model's card-by-card leans, and the AI sports picks hub covers every sport. You can also ask Chad for a matchup read on any announced bout.

What to watch next

RAF Abu Dhabi, Nov. 14. Gracie is the next booked test. Outlets disagree on whether a title is at stake, so check the official card.

A Gaethje decision. The end of November is the date Tsarukyan gave in the Oct. 27 report. If Gaethje does not fight, Tsarukyan has said he would accept Alexander Volkanovski, and Dana White said the UFC is open to Volkanovski fights, per the Yahoo report.

UFC 335 and beyond. MMASucka relayed Joe Rogan's warning that a Gaethje rematch with Oliveira would mean "denying Arman what he deserves."

The short version: the Arman Tsarukyan next fight is a wrestling match in Abu Dhabi, and the UFC title shot he wants is still waiting on the champion. StatSniper will update this page once a UFC bout is official, and Chad AI tracks every booked UFC card inside the StatSniper app.

FAQ

Who is Arman Tsarukyan fighting next? Neiman Gracie, in a catchweight crossover wrestling match at RAF Abu Dhabi on Nov. 14 at Etihad Arena, per The National and Gulf News. No UFC opponent is announced.

Is Tsarukyan vs Gracie a title fight? Reports conflict. The National, Gulf News and Middle Easy describe it as non-title, while Yahoo Sports wrote that Tsarukyan defends his RAF title.

What happened in Tsarukyan vs Danis? Tsarukyan won by first-period technical fall, 10-0, at RAF 14 on Oct. 23 and took the inaugural RAF middleweight crossover title, per Yahoo Sports.

When is Tsarukyan's UFC title shot against Gaethje? There is no date. Tsarukyan says the UFC will move on the division by the end of November, but Gaethje has not announced whether he will fight again.

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