Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional and amateur wrestlers of all time, and when he offers praise, it carries serious weight. That was evident recently when the WWE Hall of Famer had high praise for Arman Tsarukyan at the Real American Freestyle (RAF) event. Speaking in a recent interview with The Schmo, Angle commended Tsarukyan following his impressive win over Georgio Poullas at RAF 07.
Kurt Angle Hails Arman Tsarukyan As The “Real Deal” After RAF 07 Performance
Kurt Angle was interviewed backstage at the event, where he shared his thoughts on 29-year-old Arman Tsarukyan. When asked about the rising lightweight contender, the WWE Hall of Famer emphasized that Tsarukyan has the complete skill set to step into Olympic wrestling and thrive at the highest level.
Angle stated, “Arman Tsarukyan is a real deal. He can literally go into Olympic wrestling right now and do really well”. The praise comes as Tsarukyan continues to build momentum outside the UFC.
The top lightweight contender settled his side-quest rivalry with Georgio Poullas on Saturday night, securing an impressive victory in their highly anticipated wrestling rematch at RAF 7 inside the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida.
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Tsarukyan and Poullas first went viral in February for their heated clash at RAF 6, which descended into chaos after Tsarukyan landed illegal punches following the final bell, sparking a team-wide brawl. Tsarukyan won that bout 5–3, and followed it up with an even more dominant showing at RAF 7, earning a 9–3 victory after a tense, back-and-forth battle across three periods.
Kurt Angle Declined Several UFC Offers Throughout His Wrestling Career
Given his elite wrestling pedigree and remarkable athleticism, many fans have long wondered how Kurt Angle would have fared inside the UFC Octagon. Interestingly, the Olympic gold medalist revealed that he was presented with opportunities to join the promotion not once, but three separate times during his career.
In a past interview with ESPN, Angle disclosed that he came close to competing in the UFC on three occasions: in 1996, 2006, and 2010, but ultimately turned down each offer. “I got offered three different times. First time was right after the Olympics in 1996”, said Angle.
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He explained that the initial offer didn’t meet his expectations financially. In 2006, Angle declined again after committing to a deal with TNA, noting that Dana White would not have allowed him to balance professional wrestling and MMA simultaneously.
As for the 2010 opportunity, Angle shared, “I went back to Dana, and Dana came back with an idea to be in The Ultimate Fighter with Kimbo Slice. At that point in my life, I was 41 years old. I broke my neck five times. I sat back, and I realized, I started training for it a little bit, and I realized, ‘I’m past my prime, I can’t do this.”
Considering his decorated career in both amateur and professional wrestling, it’s hard not to imagine how compelling it would have been to see Angle test himself in the UFC.
