Arman Tsarukyan Fined $25K, Suspended 9 Months for Throwing Punch at Fan

Arman Tsarukyan is facing sanctions for his altercation with a fan during his walkout at UFC 300 .

The Nevada State Athletic Commission announced during its monthly meeting on Tuesday that Tsarukyan has been fined $25,000 and suspended nine months for throwing a punch at a fan on his way to the Octagon at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on April 13. The suspension can be reduced to six months if Tsarukyan releases an anti-bullying message that is approved by the NSAC.

Tsarukyan defeated Charles Oliveira via split decision at UFC 300 to earn his fourth consecutive victory in what was deemed to be a title eliminator bout. Tsarukyan later claimed that he threw the punch because a fan flipped him the bird during his walkout.

“He showed me f—k you [flipped the bird] and wanted to punch me, and I wanted to punch him back, that’s it,” Tsarukyan said at the post-fight press conference. “So guys, like no one show me f—k you. Doesn’t matter who you are, I’m going to punch you in the face. You can show me f—k from like 200 meters, I’m not going to punch you. But when you’re close to me, it’s like automatically, I’m like from Russia. Like don’t do that, please, or I’m going to go to the prison in U.S.”

If Tsarukyan’s anti-bullying message receives approval, he will be eligible to return to active competition on Oct. 12. Otherwise, he is suspended until Jan. 12, 2025. Tsarukyan is expected to receive a lightweight title shot against Islam Makhachev as a result of his latest victory.