UFC Lightweight number one contender Arman Tsarukyan is now accompanied by additional security. This is following an incident in April where he lashed out at a fan on his walk out to the octagon.
The top lightweight contender would go on to receive a nine-month suspension and a $25,000 fine after physically reacting to a fan’s rude gesture during his walk out to the octagon at UFC 300. This altercation occurred as he was heading to face former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission offered to reduce the suspension to six months if Tsarukyan, would participate in an anti-bullying public service announcement. However, he chose to wait out the full suspension and is planning his return for UFC 311 which will take place shortly after the ban ends.
Arman Tsarukyan Reflects on Fan Incident: UFC Assigns Personal Security
Just before his most recent fight, Arman Tsarukyan was able to grab the headlines when he paused during his ring walk to throw a punch at a fan. Although the individual later apologised and declined to pursue the matter, the UFC president Dana White was far from impressed.
Tsarukyan is currently serving a suspension for the incident, prompting the UFC to implement additional measures to prevent a repeat. In a recent vlog, Arman Tsarukyan shared with fans that the UFC has assigned him a personal security guard. This is not just to protect him from fans, but, perhaps more critically, to protect fans from him.
“Since I mess up every now and then, the UFC gave me a personal security guard,” Tsarukyan joked during a vlog episode at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi. Gesturing to the guard, he added;
“Look at this machine—he’s here to make sure I don’t hit any fans again. He’ll protect me, right, brother?”
Arman Tsarukyan’s Confident Rematch With Islam Makhachev Will Happen in Early 2024
Despite reports of stalled negotiations for the UFC 311 main event between Arman Tsarukyan and Islam Makachev. The challenger still remains confident the fight is going to happen. The anticipated rematch is tentatively set for January 18th when the UFC heads for California, though it has yet to be officially confirmed. Tsarukyan spoke about this to Caroline Pearce in an interview with TNT Sports when he said;
“My manager said I’m going to fight for the title at the beginning of next year, so I’m really excited,”
“Hopefully, after this event, they’ll officially announce when I’m fighting.”
“They’ve already told me the location and the date—the UFC staff and bosses know—but I think it’ll be official within a week. Hopefully, we’ll fight in January or February.”
Islam Makhachev’s Manager Casts Doubt on UFC 311 Bout with Tsarukyan
Islam Makhachev’s manager is, however, singing a different tune suggesting the fight is far from finalised. While the proposed fight date is just over a month away, promotional efforts would typically be underway, ideally coinciding with UFC 310 which is happening this weekend. Makhachev’s manager Rizvan Mgomedov went and spoke to Ushatayka;
“No, the contracts haven’t been signed. We haven’t received or signed anything yet, but we are preparing for January 18,”
“This date was given to us back in September.”
“We accepted it, but there hasn’t been a specific confirmation of the opponent yet. We assume it will be Arman Tsarukyan.”
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
