Arman Tsarukyan, a UFC lightweight fighter of Armenian descent, believes that the rules of mixed martial arts are in need of change. He has stated that if he had the opportunity, he would eliminate the round system, which currently plays a fundamental role in athletes' tactics and energy distribution.
Tsarukyan compares his vision to real-life confrontations. According to the athlete, it would be more effective to enter the octagon for a single 25-minute continuous fight, without rounds or the breaks between them. Such an approach, he suggests, would make fights more similar to real-life street brawls.
At the moment, the fighter is in intense preparation for his upcoming bout against Brazilian Mauricio Ruffy.
In the world of martial arts, the round system has long been considered indispensable, both for preserving athletes' health and for organizing broadcasts. The 25-minute continuous fight proposed by Tsarukyan would require an entirely different level of physical conditioning and tactical flexibility.
The question arises: are sports organizations ready to abandon established standards? Even if this idea remains purely theoretical, it testifies to the fighter's desire to minimize restrictions as much as possible in favor of a pure confrontation.
