Arman Tsarukyan: Hockey Was My First Love, Not Fighting
Ahead of UFC 331, Tsarukyan reveals he played for Amur Khabarovsk until 18, once dreamed of the NHL, and names Alexander Ovechkin as his favorite player.
Arman Tsarukyan, the UFC lightweight, has revealed that hockey came before fighting in his sporting life. He played for Amur in Khabarovsk until he was 18 and once dreamed of a career in the NHL.
"I wanted to become a hockey player. My dream was to go to the USA and play in the NHL. But I couldn't become a good hockey player, so I started working. I didn't like working, and I became a fighter. Thanks to fighting, I'm now in the USA and competing in the best league in the world. My hockey career was going very well. I love hockey, and even now, when I have time, I sometimes still play. Among the players, I like [Alexander] Ovechkin," said Tsarukyan.
Tsarukyan fights Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 in the early hours of 20 September.
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