Arman Tsarukyan’s next fight is booked, although it may not be with a fighter most fans would have predicted.
Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed with MMA Fighting that Tsarukyan will face Joaquim Silva at the UFC’s Fight Night event on June 17, which is expected to take place at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas. ESPN was first to report the matchup.
Tsarukyan was scheduled to headline UFC Vegas 72 in April before scheduled opponent Renato Moicano was scratched with an injury. The No. 10 ranked lightweight in MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings bounced back from a decision loss to Mateusz Gamrot with a victory over Damir Ismagulov at UFC Vegas 66 this past December.
Silva returned to the octagon after nearly 16 months on the sidelines and picked up a jumping knee finish of Jesse Ronson at UFC Vegas 61 this past October — which snapped a two-fight losing streak in the process.
The UFC’s event on June 17 will be headlined by a middleweight bout between Marvin Vettori and Jared Cannonier.