TLDR
- Arman Tsarukyan publicly apologized to Dana White and Hunter Campbell, asking for a UFC title shot
- He pulled out one day before a scheduled title fight with Islam Makhachev last year, angering UFC leadership
- Tsarukyan was fined $25,000 and suspended for slapping a fan at UFC 300 in 2024
- He headbutted Dan Hooker at weigh-ins before their recent fight, another incident that hurt his title chances
- Tsarukyan promised to be a ‘good boy’ but questioned what he should do if fans provoke him during walkouts
Sources: Sport News Armenia | MMA Junkie | Bloody Elbow
Armenian UFC fighter Arman Tsarukyan has issued a public apology to UFC President Dana White and executive Hunter Campbell, asking for forgiveness and a title shot. The No. 1-ranked lightweight made his plea during an appearance on Daniel Cormier’s podcast.
“Dana and Hunter, forgive me,” Tsarukyan said. “Give me title fight. I’ll be a good boy; I am a good boy.”
Tsarukyan’s request comes after a series of incidents that cost him multiple opportunities to fight for the championship. The fighter promised to avoid repeating the mistakes that have kept him from title contention.
A Pattern of Costly Mistakes
Tsarukyan was originally scheduled to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title last year. However, he pulled out just one day before the fight, citing a back injury.
The late withdrawal angered UFC leadership. When Makhachev vacated the title and moved up in weight, Tsarukyan was passed over for a title opportunity as punishment.
At UFC 300 in 2024, Tsarukyan slapped a fan while walking out for his fight against Charles Oliveira. The incident resulted in a $25,000 fine and a nine-month suspension that was later reduced to six months.
More recently, Tsarukyan headbutted Dan Hooker at the weigh-ins before their UFC Qatar matchup. Despite winning that fight by stoppage this past November, he was again denied a title shot.
Last weekend at UFC 324, Justin Gaethje defeated Paddy Pimblett to win the interim lightweight title. Tsarukyan had served as the backup fighter when Ilia Topuria won the vacant title against Charles Oliveira.
Promises and One Exception
During the podcast interview, Tsarukyan (23-3) committed to better behavior moving forward. He said incidents involving weight cuts, headbutts, and other confrontations “will never happen again.”
However, the fighter expressed confusion about one scenario. He asked what he should do if a fan tries to provoke or hit him during his walkout to the octagon.
“I’m not gonna hit anybody anymore… For the weight cut, or the punching back, or the headbutting anybody, it’ll never happen again,” Tsarukyan said. “But I’m going to fight, if someone tries to slap me, what can I do? I’ve got to slap him back, right?”
The series of incidents has kept Tsarukyan out of title contention despite his ranking. UFC President Dana White has previously cited these behavioral issues when explaining why Tsarukyan was passed over for the interim title bout.
Tsarukyan most recently defeated Dan Hooker by stoppage in November. Despite his top ranking and recent victory, he was not selected to compete for the interim lightweight championship at UFC 324.
