Tom Hardy turns down Arman Tsarukyan’s grappling challenge; here’s why

Tom Hardy recently turned down a grappling challenge against UFC star Arman Tsarukyan. According to reports, Hardy has been practising Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for a long time, and he holds a strong competition history.

He is known to have competed against seasoned practitioners in sanctioned events and won numerous gold medals. He has regularly attended UFC events and fight nights, so his involvement clearly goes beyond competition. The Hollywood star is well known in the MMA industry, thanks to his steady presence.

Tom Hardy has reportedly turned down a fight with Arman Tsarukyan

According to the promotion, Hardy was contacted about facing Arman on the card scheduled on 30th December. A screenshot shared by Hype FC appears to show a message exchange between the organisation’s CEO and the actor.

In the message, Hardy expressed gratitude and thanked the CEO for the opportunity and mentioned that the sum was more than what most professional fighters normally make. He clarified that the choice was unrelated to money. He was unable to prepare to compete, as he was already preoccupied by his filming schedules through March.

Hardy’s absence was later verified by Hype FC, which claimed that the matchup was not possible at the time due to ongoing filming.

Netizens immediately reacted to the news, with many expressing surprise that a match between Tom and Arman was ever considered. Many fans pointed out how uncommon it is for an actor to be offered a fight against a UFC competitor. Some fans viewed the offer as further proof of how mainstream grappling events have become.

On paper, a fight between Hardy and Tsarukyan would have favoured the UFC contender heavily, but Hardy’s experience and competitive mindset would have made this into a novelty experience.

(Story by Anoushka Nag)

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