There are only a select few best of the best legends within the sport of mixed martial arts, but Khabib Nurmagomedov undoubtedly has a seat at the table with those etched in history. However, despite being one of the most dominant fighters to ever grace the octagon, Arman Tsarukyan believes that he has the skills to beat Nurmagomedov in his prime.

‘The Eagle’ quickly rose to fame in the cage by handing devastating losses to his opponents effortlessly, barely dropping a round throughout his 12-year career. The Dagestani brought in a level of grappling that overwhelmed every high-profile fighter who attempted to oppose him, and in 2020, when he was just 32 years old, he retired on top, without a single defeat on his resume.

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While Khabib Nurmagomedov was coasting through elite opponent after elite opponent, Arman Tsarukyan had just broken into the UFC with three fights under his belt. Six years later, Tsarukyan has reached a level where he believes he would have bettered Nurmagomedov in a fantasy bout.

“Me,” Tsarukyan confidently answered when asked who would win between himself and prime Nurmagomedov. “It’s probably a [win by] decision.”

Arman Tsarukyan has been a nightmare matchup for many since making the switch over to the UFC. Aside from losses to Islam Makhachev and Mateusz Gamrot, Tsarukyan has been flawless, beating some true challengers in his division.

As he navigates through his best years as an athlete, the 29-year-old looks to be improving with every booking, but is that enough to beat one of the true icons of the sport?

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Each of the 29 men Khabib Nurmagomedov had to face during his career believed they had a chance, and each one of them failed.

But what separates Arman Tsarukyan from his past opponents is his skills, stated the Armenian. The lightweight contender insisted that his ability would be a problem for anybody, including one of the greatest to compete under the UFC banner.

“[My] skills,” Tsarukyan continued. “Well-rounded. I’m more well-rounded than him.”

Rajasthan Royals continued their dominant run in the Indian Premier League 2026, defeating Mumbai Indians by 27 runs in a rain-curtailed 11-over-a-side clash at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday.Leading the charge was Yashasvi Jaiswal, who smashed a scintillating unbeaten 77 off 32 balls, laced with 10 fours and four sixes. He shared a blistering 80-run opening stand with teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who hammered 39 off just 14 deliveries. The pair laid the foundation for Rajasthan’s imposing total of 150/3, which ultimately proved too much for Mumbai.The match, delayed by over two-and-a-half hours due to rain, turned one-sided soon after the Royals’ innings. Mumbai Indians crumbled early in the chase and were reduced to 46/5 inside five overs, losing key batters Ryan Rickelton, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya for single-digit scores. Despite some late resistance, they finished at 123/9, slipping to their second consecutive defeat.Chasing 151, Mumbai’s troubles began in the very first over when Rickelton, after hitting a six, miscued a rising delivery from Jofra Archer and was caught by Dhruv Jurel. Suryakumar Yadav showed brief intent with a six but fell soon after to Nandre Burger, leaving Mumbai at 20/2.Sandeep Sharma then struck a crucial blow, trapping Rohit Sharma lbw – the sixth time he has dismissed the Mumbai skipper in the IPL – as the five-time champions slid further. Ravi Bishnoi tightened the screws by removing both Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma in quick succession, effectively ending Mumbai’s hopes.Earlier, Rajasthan Royals got off to a flying start with Jaiswal hammering 22 runs in the first over off Deepak Chahar. Sooryavanshi then took on Jasprit Bumrah, smashing him for two sixes in a fearless display. Jaiswal continued the onslaught, hitting Trent Boult for back-to-back sixes as Rajasthan raced to 50 in just 16 balls.Sooryavanshi’s explosive knock ended when Shardul Thakur had him caught near the boundary, while AM Ghazanfar removed Jurel and skipper Riyan Parag. However, Jaiswal remained unbeaten till the end, ensuring Rajasthan Royals posted a match-winning total and climbed to the top of the table with three consecutive wins.

Bayern Munich are nothing if not consistent, so consistent that in the midst of their run of 12 Bundesliga titles in 13 years and 17 consecutive appearances in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, they slide under the radar. They are the perennial contender one often takes for granted but on Tuesday at the Bernabeu, Bayern failed to recede into the background. In the first test of title credentials since a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal in November, Vincent Kompany’s side proved they were not only contenders but the new favorites to win the Champions League, outdoing Real Madrid in a 2-1 victory in the first leg of the quarterfinals.

It came as little surprise that Bayern were the aggressor in the game, especially as a flawed version of Madrid chose to take their chances on the counter and place faith in the star-studded players on the pitch. The visitors, though, really took the game to the hosts – they pinned them in for the opening 15 minutes of the match, limiting Los Blancos to zero shots while they racked up four and generated 1.03 expected goals in the process. Bayern had implemented a high-intensity pressing style that they have perfected over the course of the season, going full throttle as often as they can. Patience was required but Bayern’s unflinching approach feels tried and true at this point, Kompany’s side reaping the reward of their hard work shortly before the break.

Their persistence was on full display as Michael Olise intercepted Vinicius Junior’s pass, as strong a signal as any that Bayern’s impactful attackers should be off to the races. In the span of 10 seconds, Olise connected with Joshua Kimmich before receiving the ball again and leaving it in the control of Serge Gnabry. Three bodies surrounded him as he played a well-placed pass to Harry Kane in front of him, Madrid attempting to close down the space around the England captain while leaving Gnabry free to roam from Kane’s right to his left. Kane sent the ball Gnabry’s way, who then spotted Luis Diaz in front of him as he came up with a simple finish from close range.

If that play was not brutal enough, Madrid were caught in Bayern’s intense wave moments after the whistle blew to open the second half. Vinicius‘ pass over the top was meant for Alvaro Carreras but he needed a beat to gain control of the ball. Against Kompany’s Bayern, though, opponents are not afforded the space to breathe – Aleksandar Pavlovic inserted himself into the crevice of space between Carreras and the ball and in no time, the ball was at Olise’s feet. The France international made a run, two Madrid defenders attempting to close the space between him and the goal. It was no matter – he was wise enough to spot Kane behind him and the talisman put enough power behind the ball to make sure it flew into the back of the net, Bayern’s relentlessness on full display.

The great trade-off of Bayern’s style is the high line that comes with it, Madrid boasting the type of players that can exploit that space and the opportunities afforded by sloppy play from center back Dayot Upamecano. They benefitted from the return of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who led his team with 52 passes and reminded of his elite talents as a goal-creating right wingback with an excellent pass to Kylian Mbappe for Madrid’s lone goal of the game in the 74th minute. Los Blancos have the quality to match Bayern’s 20 shots and to take 37 touches in the opposition box, equally capable of creating a back-and-forth game that lived up to the billing of a match between two of Europe’s most accomplished sides.

And yet, Bayern were not just going toe-to-toe with Madrid. They outdid them in just about every regard, even those Madrid do well. The two finished level on shots but Bayern generated 2.99 expected goals along the way. Los Blancos nearly hit 40 touches in Bayern’s box but Bayern had 45 of their own in Madrid’s, a jaw-dropping figure if there ever was one. Every decision felt like a favorable one for Bayern, even the risky ones – Manuel Neuer may be weeks removed from his 40th birthday but the World Cup winner was in fine form with nine saves, his otherworldly efforts offering a stark reminder that Madrid counterpart Andriy Lunin was merely the understudy to the injured Thibaut Courtois.

Bayern’s style of play is a tactical riddle that is hard to solve, in large part because it lacks restraint. Arsenal have cake-walked to their status as the oddsmakers’ choice to win the Champions League because they have perfected the art of assuming full control of a match by wearing the opposition down through precision and efficiency rather than exuberance. Effective as it may be, Bayern are now the Gunners’ dramatic foils – Arsenal are pragmatic to a fault, dragging themselves through a 1-0 game at Sporting Lisbon in which they were outshot 11 to seven and outdone 0.83 to 0.78 on expected goals, Kai Havertz‘s stoppage time goal saving the day.

Bayern have their flaws, too, but they offer an entirely separate case study in result-oriented soccer, one that offers a stark reminder that playing on the front foot has its benefits. It is a bet that defaulting to players’ individual tendencies and affording them freedom will pay off, a bet that Real Madrid has tried to take for years without the foundation of a tactically balanced roster to back it up. Whether or not Bayern will come away with a seventh Champions League title in the process is to be determined but after Tuesday’s showing in Madrid, Kompany – who won four Premier League titles with a Manchester City team that entertained constantly – has made as compelling an argument as any that the strategy just might work.

“I think the team has, in the end, earned the right to play the way they do,” Kompany said in a post-match interview on the UEFA Champions League Today post-match show. “They’ve done it in Paris, they’ve done it here. They’ve earned the right to be that team and I remember when I was lucky to be a part of some very good teams. The biggest thing you want to have in these types of games is that you can still be yourselves and then after that, with the talent on the pitch, it’s margins but we can make those margins fall in our favor.”