UFC competitor Arman Tsarukyan has given a challenge to featherweight champion Ilia Topuria with a jaw-dropping $500,000 side bet proposal. The Armenian-Georgian contender made this declaration during a recent appearance on Mike Perry’s Overdogs podcast.
“If I lose, I’ll give him $500,000. If I beat him, he’s going to give me $500,000,” Tsarukyan stated matter-of-factly during the interview. When Perry noted the significance of such a wager, commenting “That’s big words right there. Paddy Pimblett ain’t throwing numbers around like that,”
Tsarukyan doubled down on his proposition, explaining that if Topuria truly believes in himself “like 100%, he’s going to say yes for sure.”
This bet proposal comes as Tsarukyan continues to position himself as the number one contender at 155 pounds, while expressing his desire to face Topuria for the championship. His confidence stems from his belief that he possesses superior overall mixed martial arts skills compared to the Georgian-Spanish champion.
“He has just good boxing and that’s all,” Tsarukyan assessed when breaking down Topuria’s skillset. “I feel like myself I’m a better MMA fighter than him because I have more, I’m more skilled than him. I got good kicks, knees, you know, like wrestling setup, boxing with wrestling, wrestling against the cage, grappling everything.”
Tsarukyan’s tactical approach to defeating Topuria centers around exploiting what he perceives as the champion’s weakness against elite wrestling. “If you just going to stay and try to box him, it’s not going to work because it’s his pace, you know,” he explained. “You got to just keep pressure him, try him, take him down, make him tired because he’s gassed out so fast with the wrestling.”
While acknowledging his family’s construction business provides financial security, he emphasized that his motivation transcends money. “Millions is not enough. Billions is enough,” he joked, before explaining that his true drive comes from his goal to become UFC champion and prove himself as “one of the best ever fighter.”
This financial freedom allows Tsarukyan to focus purely on his craft without the pressure many fighters face regarding immediate paydays. “I just shouldn’t worry about the money and everything, how take care of my family or something. I just do what I like to do,” he reflected, noting how this advantage allows him to pursue excellence without compromise.
With Tsarukyan currently positioned as the top contender at lightweight and Topuria reigning as featherweight champion, their paths seem destined to cross, whether at 145 or 155 pounds.
Tsarukyan’s willingness to put half a million dollars on the line demonstrates not just his financial capability, but his unwavering belief in his abilities against one of the sport’s most feared strikers. As he put it, “We can shake hand fight” – a simple gesture that could potentially involve the largest side bet in modern MMA history.
