Arman Tsarukyan won the biggest fight of his career at UFC 300 on Saturday night, defeating former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira by split decision. But it was what happened during Tsarukyan's exit that angered the crowd the next morning.
As he made his exit to the octagon, Tsarukyan physically confronted a fan. Several videos were posted on X that showed him with his arm outstretched to shake a fan's hand. Tsarukyan then reacted very suddenly, turning towards the fan and appearing to punch them.
In the post-fight press conference, UFC President and CEO Dana White commented on the incident with a distinctive blend of humor and courage.
“Yes, you might not want to hang on to things and grab people when they come out,” White said. “These guys are all reckless and stuff; I'm sure we'll probably get sued but we'll deal with that on Monday as well.
Tsarukyan also commented on what happened after the fight, saying: Via Bloody Elbow.
“He showed me he wanted to punch me, and I wanted to punch him back, that's all. Nobody shows me 'f*** you'” [like that] It doesn't matter who you are, I'm going to punch you in the face.
“When you're 200 meters away, I won't punch you, but when you're close to me, you'll automatically end up hitting someone.”
Tsarukyan is hoping that defeating Oliveira will give him a chance at a rematch against Islam Makhachev, the fighter he lost to in his UFC debut in 2019. If he gets that rematch, Tsarukyan may want to consider a highly choreographed dance to his exit instead. Who left himself open to ridicule by fans.
“Beer enthusiast. Subtly charming alcohol junkie. Wannabe internet buff. Typical pop culture lover.”
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