Famous MMA fighter Arman Tsarukyan was a guest on the popular show The MMA Hour, where he shared an incredible story about how he caught and strangled an alligator with his bare hands.
Ariel Helwani: "I saw a photo of you with an alligator around your neck. Is it alive? What happened there?"
Arman Tsarukyan: "I strangled it. I caught it with a fishing rod, pulled it out of the river, strangled it, and put it around my neck."
Ariel Helwani: "I don't believe it. Seriously?"
Arman Tsarukyan: "I can send you the video. In Florida, I got a license to kill alligators. You hook them and catch them. My friend and I eventually pulled the alligator out together. It was 7-8 feet long. There are bigger ones, 12-13 feet. Fortunately, this one was small. It weighed about 50-70 pounds."
Arman explained that he didn't use any bait, just an empty hook. When the animal was on the shore, he used his wrestling skills to strangle it. Arman's friend held the alligator's mouth shut to prevent it from biting.
Ariel Helwani: "Weren't you nervous about strangling it? That it might bite you?"
Arman Tsarukyan: "No, my friend held its mouth."
Arman used a rear naked choke, as they do in fights, and then shot the alligator. The video of him and his friend dragging the alligator out of the water caused quite a stir.
Ariel Helwani: "Oh my God... And what did you do with the alligator afterward?"
Arman Tsarukyan: "Boots. I'll wear them to my title fight. Alligator skin boots."
Tsarukyan also mentioned that he is unlikely to repeat such an experience since it was too easy for him. He prefers more challenging types of hunting, like hunting mountain goats.
Ariel Helwani: "Will you be doing this again, killing alligators?"
Arman Tsarukyan: "I don't think so. It was easy, I don't like easy. You throw the hook, and that's it. But pulling it out, yes, that's not easy. I love the hunt, real hunting, real meat. Hunting mountain goats. My parents get mad at me for that. They say, 'Don't bring that meat home, cook it somewhere else.' They don't like hunting."
This story once again highlights Arman Tsarukyan's extraordinary character and his readiness for extreme challenges.