 Chivichyan, the youngest of three brothers, was born in Yerevan, Armenia.Chivichyan began his training as a young child in Soviet Armenia, winning national junior titles in judo, sambo, and wrestling.At the age of 17, Chivichyan relocated to Los Angeles, California where he continued his training in no-gi submission wrestling under Gene LeBell, a famous Catch wrestler and the United States' first Judo champion.