Goodbye Ahalkalakets, hello Batman!
On Monday, top-ranked UFC Lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan revealed to Ariel Helwani that he’s officially changing his nickname to “Batman.” For years, Tsarukyan’s official nickname “Ahalkalakets,” a reference to his hometown, but fans have pushed for the change. Tsarukyan has been repeatedly called the Armenian Bruce Wayne/Armenian Batman online, a reference to his combination of immense wealth and elite fighting skills.
What Arman loses in alliteration, he more than makes up for in marketability. I’ve been writing about Tsarukyan since his 2019 UFC debut, and not once have I been managed to spell “Ahalkalakets” without copious use of the copy/paste input! Fight fans aren’t always accepting of new nicknames (ask Ilia Topuria), but this one oughta stick.
Fortunately, Tsarukyan’s endless side questing has indeed come to a momentary conclusion. Currently riding a five-fight win streak over the likes of Charles Oliveira and Dan Hooker, Tsarukyan will return to action at UFC 331 next month in a five-round fight versus knockout artist Mauricio Ruffy. If victorious, Tsarukyan should be expected to finally secure a title shot, although the jury is out on when champion Justin Gaethje will return to action.
