UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan recently confirmed his role as the backup for the June 14 lightweight title bout between champion Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje at the White House. But during a recent broadcast with content creator Nina-Marie Daniele, Tsarukyan revealed he had agreed to a mysterious no-holds-barred street bout for $1 million.
The conversation unfolded casually when Tsarukyan suddenly said, “Off to my next street fig ht.”
Caught off guard, Nina Drama immediately asked, “Today? Who are you competing?”
“One guy reached out,” Tsarukyan explained. “He wants to do a street fig ht with me for $1 million.”
Still confused, Nina asked, “Who?”
“Just random guy,” Tsarukyan replied.
“What are you talking about?” Nina responded, clearly surprised by the revelation.
Tsarukyan then elaborated on proposal.
“So one guy reached out to me from my manager,” he said. “And he wants to do like a street fig ht. No camera. Nothing. Put on the one million dollar. If he beat me, he take it. If he lose, I’ll take one million dollar.”
Nina appeared genuinely surprised throughout the exchange, repeatedly trying to get more details about the mystery challenger, but Tsarukyan offered little beyond the unusual setup.
Despite not having an official MMA bout currently scheduled, Tsarukyan has remained active by regularly competing in Real American Freestyle wrestling events. He currently holds a professional MMA record of 23-3 overall, with his only UFC losses coming against Islam Makhachev and Mateusz Gamrot.
His most recent UFC appearance came last November, when he secured a dominant submission victory over Dan Hooker, extending his winning streak to five straight matches.
Meanwhile, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed this week that Tsarukyan will officially serve as the backup for the Topuria vs. Gaethje main event at UFC Freedom 250, the card scheduled to take place at the White House ahead of the United States’ 250th anniversary celebration. If either Topuria or Gaethje is forced to withdraw before the event, Tsarukyan is expected to step in immediately.
