Arman Tsarukyan Posts $1 Million Bet

Arman Tsarukyan may have just handed the UFC a disciplinary decision to make.

The Armenian lightweight posted a $1 million wager on Sunday's title fight between champion Ilia Topuria and interim titleholder Justin Gaethje publicly on X — despite UFC regulations that explicitly prohibit fighters from betting on the promotion's events.

The rule has been in place and actively enforced following a series of incidents that attracted scrutiny from sportsbooks and regulators, making Tsarukyan's decision to share the bet publicly rather than keep it private all the more notable.

Tsarukyan's bet backing Gaethje to upset Topuria first surfaced during a streaming session with Deen The Great and four-weight boxing champion Adrien Broner, where he was seen placing the wager live on camera. The legitimacy of the bet attracted immediate scepticism — during the stream, Tsarukyan appeared to ask how many zeroes were in a million, a detail that led many to question whether the wager was genuine or performed for an audience.

Topuria and Tsarukyan have been trading barbs throughout the buildup to UFC Freedom 250, with the champion questioning his rival's maturity and financial standing. Arman last competed at UFC Qatar in November 2025, submitting Dan Hooker to maintain his position near the top of the lightweight rankings. Since then he has stayed active on the RAF circuit.

A Gaethje upset would make Tsarukyan's bet — real or not — a story that runs for weeks. A Topuria victory keeps the champion firmly in control and gives Tsarukyan a target he has been circling for some time.