Arman Tsarukyan: “In the future, why not?

It appears there was indeed an offer on the table for Arman Tsarukyan to take on Hollywood icon Tom Hardy. Although the match ultimately did not materialize, “Ahalkalakets” appears ready to face the “Venom” star in the future.

Tsarukyan and fellow UFC star Shara Magomedov fought to a draw at a Hype FC event on December 30. However, according to reports earlier this year, Hardy was initially approached for the event.

A redacted screenshot of an Instagram DM between the actor and Hype Fighting CEO Armand Martirosyan shows Hardy respectfully declining the offer, citing filming commitments:

“Armand, first of all, this is a very kind offer. Where and why did it come from? This seems like a lot more money than any professional BJJ practitioner would usually make. So it’s not about that… [I’m] We’re also shooting between now and March.”

Tsarukyan has now confirmed the news, revealing that the offer was indeed on the table and that he would not be opposed to competing again at a later date. Speaking to combat sports journalist Helen Yee ahead of his RAF 05 fight against Lance Palmer, Tsarukyan said:

“Yes, I received this offer, but he couldn’t come because he was filming something, I don’t know. But maybe in the future, why not?”

Check Arman TsarukyanTom Hardy’s grappling offer comments below (1:50):

Hardy is a dedicated jiu-jitsu practitioner who trains alongside elite figures such as Roger Gracie. The purple belt has won several grappling competitions.

When Tom Hardy revealed how he got into jiu-jitsu

It turns out that Tom Hardy wasn’t always the competent wrestler he is today. In fact, for years he felt intimidated by the martial arts community and limited his training to weightlifting.

However, as he grew older, curiosity got the better of him, sparking his journey into jiu-jitsu. During a 2024 interview with the charity REORGHardy explained how he got into the sport:

“It was very late. I was 40, so seven years ago… I was always a little nervous about the fighting and martial arts community… I was intimidated… Then I got older and I was like, ‘Well, I really like to try.’ really nice people. I started to enjoy the community, and it gave me an honest level of confidence…I just kept coming. You’ll never be the best, that’s impossible, but you can be better than you were by coming, just by coming.”