TLDR
- Arman Tsarukyan faces Georgio Poullas in a rematch at RAF 7 on March 28 after their first match ended in a brawl
- Tsarukyan called Poullas ‘like a rat’ and warned he could seriously hurt him as a trained UFC fighter
- The UFC lightweight is teasing a move to featherweight and wants to fight champion Alexander Volkanovski
- Tsarukyan pulled out of a title fight against Islam Makhachev hours before weigh-ins in January 2025
- UFC CEO Dana White has said Tsarukyan caused behind-the-scenes issues preventing a championship opportunity
Sources: Bloody Elbow | Sherdog | BJPenn
UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan has called his upcoming opponent Georgio Poullas untrustworthy ahead of their grudge rematch scheduled for March 28. The No. 2-ranked fighter told Fox Nation that Poullas is ‘like a rat’ and warned that he won’t guarantee there won’t be trouble when they meet again.
Tsarukyan and Poullas are set to wrestle at RAF 7 in a rematch of their controversial first encounter at RAF 6 last month. Their initial match ended when Tsarukyan punched Poullas after winning the grappling contest, sparking an all-out brawl between both competitors and their teams.
Warnings Before the Rematch
The UFC fighter expressed caution about his opponent’s character and intentions. ‘If Georgio was a man, I would have a problem with the guy, but with these guys I’m never gonna have problems because he’s not a man of his words,’ Tsarukyan said.
Tsarukyan suggested that Poullas might pull out of the bout or threaten legal action if confronted again. ‘You can do something to him and he can cancel the fight and say I broke my hand, I want to sue you — he’s kind of a tricky guy,’ he explained.
Despite his concerns, Tsarukyan issued a stark warning about his capabilities as a trained MMA fighter. ‘I’m in the UFC and for me it’s bad to fight somebody somewhere, especially with wrestlers. They don’t know how to fight. I can break his arms, head — it’s dangerous because we know how to use our hands, elbows, kicks,’ he stated.
Arman Tsarukyan isn't concerned about Georgio Poullas if another brawl happens at RAF 7
📰 https://t.co/wSqeiGG3l9 pic.twitter.com/NBGXLoWw1X
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) March 23, 2026
In their first meeting at RAF 6, Poullas was accused of multiple fouls during the grappling match and was penalized on points. Tsarukyan won the contest but then punched his opponent, leading to the chaotic scene that forced RAF organizers to take drastic action.
RAF has implemented special precautions for their upcoming card to prevent another incident. The event will also feature controversial fighter Dillon Danis, adding another layer of concern for organizers.
Teasing Featherweight Move
Beyond his grappling activities, Tsarukyan has been making waves on social media about a potential weight class change. Following UFC London on Saturday, where Movsar Evloev defeated Lerone Murphy by majority decision in the featherweight headliner, Tsarukyan posted a poll on his Threads account.
‘UFC fans, is it time for me to save the featherweight division?’ Tsarukyan wrote. This isn’t his first hint at dropping to 145 pounds.
Tsarukyan recently appeared on the Aviator YouTube channel and took aim at reigning featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. ‘I’ll beat Volk and then I’ll hire him as my chef because when I beat him, he’s going to retire and he’s gotta do something and I can pay good money for him, to have a good chef like him,’ Tsarukyan said.
The fighter’s last MMA bout took place in November 2025 when he submitted Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar. He has been staying active through submission grappling and freestyle wrestling matches while waiting for his next UFC assignment.
Tsarukyan’s UFC career hit a major setback when he pulled out of a lightweight title fight against Islam Makhachev in January 2025. He withdrew hours before the weigh-ins due to an injury, a decision that appears to have damaged his standing with UFC management.
UFC CEO Dana White has told reporters that Tsarukyan has caused issues behind the scenes, which has prevented him from being elevated to a championship fight. The top lightweight contender now faces questions about whether he will drop to featherweight or wait for another opportunity at 155 pounds.
