Top UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan locked horns with Ankit Baiyanpuria earlier tonight at Hype FC in Yerevan, Armenia, in a submission-only grappling match.
Tsarukyan won the Hype FC strap after putting Muhammad Mokaev to sleep with a rear-naked choke at Hype Brazil earlier this year and tonight against Baiyanpuria, he defended the strap for the first time.
Ankit Baiyanpuria, a former Haryanvi wrestler and Indian fitness influencer who honed his wrestling and grappling skills in local akharas and recently trained in Dagesatan, rose to prominence after documenting the Indian version of the 75 Hard Challenge on his socials.
Notably, Baiyanpuria has 8.2M followers on his Instagram. His fitness journey motivated thousands of fans and followers to adopt a healthy lifestyle, and tonight, after sharing the Hype FC ring with Tsarukyan, he hopes to take Indian MMA to the next level and do even more to grow the sport in his country.
Match update: Arman Tsarukyan vs. Ankit Baiyanpuria
Arman Tsarukyan wasted no time at Hype FC against Ankit Baiyanpuria. The 29-year-old secured back-to-back takedowns within the opening two minutes in front of his home crowd. Somehow, Ankit escaped his initial submission attempts, after which Arman came out aggressively, scored a third takedown by hoisting Ankit onto his shoulders, and slamming him to the cage.
Immediately, the UFC lightweight contender quickly transitioned into an armbar, forcing Ankit to tap right away.
