By the Numbers: Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Arman Tsarukyan

Mark RaymundoJul 25, 2019


The ordering process for Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-views has changed: UFC 240 is only available on ESPN+ in the U.S.

After consecutive losses to Alexander Hernandez and Gilbert Burns, Canadian lightweight Olivier Aubin-Mercier is set to face Arman Tsarukyan, who himself will look to bounce back after dropping his promotional debut. They go to war on July 27 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, at UFC 240. Let the numbers below get you acquainted on this interesting scrap.

Overall experience

Aubin-Mercier and Tsarukyan both have 15 professional fights under their names. Aubin-Mercier made his pro debut on Oct. 21, 2011, coming out with a 58-second submission victory at Ringside MMA 12, a local event that featured Paul Daley and Luigi Fioravanti as headliner. He later went 4-0 after which, he was signed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he is still competing. His overall record stands at 11-4.

Tsarukyan’s record is a little more desirable at 13-2. He started his career on Sept. 25, 2015 in an event called MFP - Assault Nights of Spassk 2015, winning via first-round TKO. The Russian lightweight out of MFP Team has fought for various promotions before making his way to the UFC earlier this year.

UFC appearances

Aubin-Mercier has appeared 11 times in the Octagon, having debuted on April 16, 2014 at The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale. He faced fellow debutante Chad Laprise and lost via split decision. The native of Quebec, Canada, would later score victories over the likes of Evan Dunham, Drew Dober and Anthony Rocco Martin.

The opposing fighters have equal number of professional fights, but Tsarukyan has only graced the Octagon once. On April 20 of this year, he was outpointed by Islam Makhachev for an unsuccessful promotional debut.

Finishing rate

Both fighters are proven finishers, with Tsarukyan being the more dynamic of the two. The Russian owns five wins by KO or TKO and another five by submission, making for a 76 percent finishing rate. Aubin-Mercier, meanwhile, takes pride in having eight wins by submission and one by KO or TKO, making for an 82 percent stoppage rate.

Longest winning streak

After going 1-1 to start his career, Tsarukyan went on a 12-fight winning streak, which went from Dec. 12, 2015 to Aug. 22, 2018. Aubin-Mercier’s longest winning run is only four but he’s done it twice. He first achieved it by going 4-0 to start his career, from Oct. 21, 2011 to Aug. 17, 2013. “The Canadian Gangster” then did it again in the UFC, from June 18, 2016 to April 7, 2018.

Most fights in a single year

Tsarukyan’s and Aubin-Mercier’s pro debut dates are separated by four years, and yet, they both have 15 fights. That means one of them is more active than the other. That’s Tsarukyan, whose most active year was in 2017, in which he fought five times. He fought in the months of March, May, August, October and December. As for Aubin-Mercier, the most he has fought was three times in 2016 and 2018.

Career losses

Tsarukyan’s two losses were dealt by Alexander Belikh (KO) and Makhachev (decision) while Aubin-Mercier’s setbacks came at the hands of Chad Laprise, Diego Ferreira, Alexander Hernandez and Gilbert Burns. All were via unanimous decision.