Bet scandal rocks MMA — Will Arman Tsarukyan pay the price if $1M Justin Gaethje wager is real?
· Yahoo Sports
Arman Tsarukyan might be facing more trouble after his latest move.
The lightweight contender has had several run-ins with the UFC over the past year, many of them outside of the cage, and it’s already affected his chances at a title shot.
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First, there was the incident at UFC 300 where he punched a fan, leading to a fine and suspension. Later, he pulled out of a fight against Islam Makhachev just a day before it was set to take place.
That was followed by an incident where he headbutted Dan Hooker during ceremonial weigh-ins for UFC Qatar. More recently, Tsarukyan brawled with Georgio Poullas in Real American Freestyle and was removed from an American Airlines flight.
And now, Tsarukyan could be looking at further disciplinary action from the UFC after admitting to violating the organisation’s strict no-betting policy.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLCThe potential consequences for Tsarukyan
The UFC introduced its betting ban two years ago in response to growing concerns over match-fixing and suspicious betting activity across combat sports. Since then, fighters have been prohibited from wagering on any fight in any promotion worldwide.
Tai Tuivasa recently received a six-month suspension for breaching this rule by placing five separate bets on various fights between June 2021 and November 2023.
While none of those wagers were made on Tuivasa’s own bouts or those involving his teammates or affiliates – which likely contributed to his relatively short suspension – Tsarukyan now faces similar scrutiny after publicly admitting to breaking the same policy.
Arman Tsarukyan faces questions over a reported $1 million bet on Justin Gaethje
‘Akhalkalakets’ will have a close eye on next Sunday’s main event, as UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria returns against Justin Gaethje at the White House. More than watching who he could challenge for the title down the line, Tsarukyan also appears to have a vested financial interest in the bout.
During a recent livestream with Deen The Great and former four-weight boxing world champion Adrien Broner, Tsarukyan claimed he bet $1 million on Gaethje to beat ‘El Matador’ on June 14. The UFC star showed the screen before the bet was apparently placed, displaying a potential payout of $5.7 million.
Many are questioning the wager’s legitimacy, with some suggesting the betting app used was a sponsor. If that is the case, Tsarukyan may be in the clear from the potential sanctions that could have awaited him if it were a real bet.
After Darrick Minner’s loss to Shayilan Nuerdanbieke in 2022 raised questions about fight integrity and led to an investigation into James Krause, the UFC formally banned fighters from placing bets on any matches within their organisation.
A memo sent out by Hunter Campbell reinforced this point: “Many states also extend this prohibition to athletes’ training teams, family members and others that have access to ‘inside information’ relating to athletes and their events.”
It went further by noting possible legal consequences: “In some instances, violations of these prohibitions could result in criminal charges. The UFC’s contracted athletes are not exempt from these prohibitions, which state legislators and regulators have implemented for the purpose of maintaining our sport’s integrity.”
If true, Tsarukyan would be breaching regulations by placing a wager ahead of Gaethje’s showdown with Topuria. The promotion hasn’t publicly detailed the specific consequences for breaking this rule; no penalties like contract termination were mentioned in Campbell’s original memo back in 2022.
But if his bet proves legitimate, there could be trouble beyond just internal discipline — law enforcement might also get involved.
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