The lightweight division has been overturned as Arman Tsarukyan has finally earned his spot as the number one contender after defeating Charles Oliveira at the UFC 300. The Armenian showed everyone why he was there despite the audience booing him. Nevertheless, a rather peculiar incident happened when Tsarukyan was walking out to the Octagon.
Just moments before his fight against Oliveira, Tsarukyan was seen having a scuffle and punching a guy during his walkout. The MMA community was confused as to why such an incident happened, but it seems like the winner has an explanation for the audience altogether. Let’s take a look at it.
Arman Tsarukyan’s explanation behind beating a guy during UFC 300
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Arman Tsarukyan won the bout against ‘Do Bronx’ by way of a split decision. He went from being in a tough position in the initial round to dominating the number-one contender for the rest of the match. Tsarukyan has come a long way! Yet, the fight for the Armenian started outside the Octagon.
During his walkout, a fan seemed to have misbehaved with the fighter, and in response, Tsarukyan threw some hands in his direction. In his conversation with the media, Tsarukyan explained why he did that. “He showed me ‘Fu*k you’ and wanted to punch me, and I wanted to punch him back, that’s it. So, like, no one show me ‘fu*k you,’ no matter who you are, I’m gonna punch you in the face.”
He further added, “You can like show me fu*k from two hundred metres then I wont be able to punch you but when you are like close to me. Its automatically you know I’m from like from Russia dont do that please or I’m gonna go to the prison in the US”
Arman Tsarukyan talks about the incident where he punched a fan during his walkout:
“He showed me f*** and wanted to punch me, and I wanted to punch him back.
I’m from Russia, don’t do that please. Or I’m gonna to prison, in US.” 😂
🎥 @MMACrazy #UFC300 #UFC #MMA https://t.co/CyKsyiKDVC pic.twitter.com/Y3OIluZJta
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 14, 2024
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Tsarukyan’s journey to the belt has been tremendous so far, and his next outing will be against Islam Makhachev for the championship. Interestingly, Tsarukyan’s first fight in the UFC was against Makhachev, which he lost badly. This is his chance for redemption.
Whats next for Arman Tsarukyan?
The 27-year-old fighter is on a mission to become the youngest lightweight champion in the history of the promotion, and he is just one step away from such glory. Dana White asserted that Tsarukyan’s victory would earn him the number one contender status. However, Islam Makhachev already has a match set up for UFC 302, and that is against Dustin Poirier.
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Nonetheless, the victor of the match would be facing Tsarukyan next. Interestingly, Makhachev and Tsarukyan already have a history and the Armenian seems ti be wanting to change the course of it. After his victory against Charles Oliveira, Makhachev took to his X handle to add a tweet congratulating Tsarukyan and promising him that they would meet soon.
The stakes of the lightweight division are high after Tsarukyan’s victory. The new generation is coming with a full force to take on the older stars. Do you expect Tsarukyan to win against Islam Makhachev? State your thoughts in the comments below.