Tsarukyan’s $1 Million Bet Announcement Risks UFC Backlash

Arman Tsarukyan (23-3) may have landed himself in hot water with the UFC after publicly posting a $1 million wager on Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 lightweight title fight between champion Ilia Topuria (17-0) and interim titleholder Justin Gaethje (27-5).

The Armenian shared the seven-figure bet on X, despite UFC regulations explicitly prohibiting their fighters from placing wagers on any of the promotion’s events. The UFC cracked down on fighter gambling following a string of incidents that drew scrutiny from sportsbooks and regulators alike.

This comes after Tsarukyan previously fell out of the UFC’s good graces for pulling out of his January 2025 title fight vs Islam Makhachev one day before the bout, and his unnecessary headbutt to Dan Hooker during their weigh-in ahead of their November 2025 fight, both leading to Arman not getting a shot at Ilia Topuria’s lightweight title, despite being ranked as the #1 contender. Whether the promotion chooses to discipline Tsarukyan for the betting breach remains to be seen

Can’t wait 😂🤫💰 pic.twitter.com/dDRjAu56mj

— Arman Tsarukyan UFC (@ArmanUfc) June 12, 2026