Fresh off his sixth appearance outside of the UFC on Saturday, headlining RAF 7 in a rematch with Georgio Poullas, Arman Tsarukyan continues to stay active in the most unexpected ways.

During a trip to Everglades Holiday Park with streamer N3ON and Nina Drama, the Armenian attempted to test his skills on a live alligator. Arman Tsarukyan, ever curious, asked a wildlife expert if it was possible to control the animal using a rear-naked choke.

“Is it possible, grab like this and hold?” he asked. “I wanna sit and hold his neck.”

After receiving permission to position himself, but with strict warnings, he climbed onto the alligator’s back and briefly considered attempting the hold. However, after he realized the reptile’s massive size and stiffness, he chose caution over risk.

N3ON jokingly asked him to go for a guillotine; however, Arman Tsarukyan swiftly dismissed the idea.

“Bro, he’s huge, how am I gonna give a guillotine? So stiff,” he said.

Instead, he chose to simply sit on the animal for a few seconds before hopping off and backing away. The moment turned into a lighthearted one, but interestingly, this isn’t the first time ‘Ahalkalakets’ has tried something like this.

Back in 2024, he claimed to have choked out a smaller alligator during a fishing trip, as the 29-year-old even joked about turning it into boots for future fights.

“I choked him out,” Arman Tsarukyan told Ariel Helwani. “I caught him, pulled him out from [the river], choked him, and put it on my back. I got a license to kill the alligator.

“We put a fishing hook out on the river, and me and my friend had to pull him in with one [rod]. He was 50, 70 pounds. Caught him without meat or anything… Other animals, it’s sad, but alligators, it’s ok. They eat people. Rear-naked choke from back-mount.”

This time, however, the stakes and size were clearly different, and Tsarukyan knew where to draw the line, especially when he claimed he was the backup for the UFC White House title fight.

Arman Tsarukyan claims he is the backup for Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje

While his alligator encounter revealed a lighter side, Arman Tsarukyan made it clear that his focus remains squarely on the big stage. After settling his feud with Georgio Poullas, the Armenian has already returned his focus to the UFC, and potentially to one of its most significant upcoming fights.

Following RAF 7, he revealed that he’s positioning himself as the backup fighter for the lightweight title bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje.

“So (Topuria) has a fight coming up, and now he’s saying, ‘Yeah, if the UFC tell me, I will fight Arman,’ but he has a fight coming up; I’m a backup for that fight,” he said in the post-fight press conference. “I’m gonna be ready if something happens, and I’m gonna stay active.

“Maybe I’m gonna do the RAF next month or maybe in May, so we’ll see when Colby Covington is ready, when he’s gonna be done with his drinking beer and laying down on the beach.”

It’s a role that doesn’t guarantee action, but it keeps him within reach of gold. More importantly, it shows that, despite recent friction with the promotion, he is still very much in the title picture.

Staying ready is Arman Tsarukyan’s primary focus. Whether it’s making regular appearances in the RAF or stepping in on short notice, he’s ensuring there’s no repeat of missed opportunities. And with talks about fighting for “any belt” this summer, the message is clear: when the UFC calls, he expects to be the one answering.