Heading into UFC Freedom 250, Justin Gaethje entered as a massive +475 underdog against Ilia Topuria, with most fans expecting the Spaniard to secure another dominant victory. Instead, the MMA world witnessed one of the biggest upsets in the sport’s history as Gaethje stopped Topuria at the end of the fourth round, forcing the former champion to remain on his stool and surrender the fight. The stunning result led to several bettors cashing in big, including a friend of Arman Tsarukyan.
The Armenian lightweight revealed on social media that one of his friends had placed a staggering $1 million wager on Gaethje to defeat Topuria. When the American captured the undisputed lightweight title, the bet paid out an incredible $5.7 million, with Tsarukyan sharing screenshots of the winnings on his Instagram Stories. As a gesture of appreciation, Tsarukyan offered to buy Gaethje a brand-new truck.
The gift stemmed from comments Gaethje made during the UFC Freedom 250 post-fight press conference, where he mentioned that his current truck, purchased in 2020, was beginning to show its age after accumulating around 65,000 miles. However, Gaethje surprisingly turned down the offer. During a recent appearance on JRE MMA Show #181, he explained why he was uncomfortable accepting such an expensive gift. He said, “I’m not taking this truck from Arman. There’s absolutely no way I would take a truck. I’m going to have to ride around in a truck that a dude bought for me every day. I don’t know, I just can’t go there. We didn’t shake on it, he does not owe it to me.”
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As expected, the UFC’s No. 2-ranked lightweight was not pleased with Gaethje’s response. Tsarukyan first posted a promotional video with an online gambling site, saying that he would give the truck away to one of his fans instead. He later appeared on Nina Drama’s Kick stream, where he made it clear that he felt slighted by Gaethje’s refusal. He said, “Justin is saying, ‘I’m not going to take the car. Fuck it, we’re not going to give it to him. He doesn’t want it, he doesn’t deserve that. Yesterday, I watched the video, and I was shocked, like what the fuck, if you don’t want it, fuck you.”
Tsarukyan went a step further and vowed to make Gaethje pay for what he perceived as disrespectful behavior when the two eventually meet inside the Octagon. He added, “I’m going to fuck him up in the fight. I can’t wait. You’re saying you don’t want my truck, and you’re not going to drive that. Say ‘thank you’ instead of being rude, like what the hell? I give you the truck, we bought the truck, you’re saying, ‘I’m not even going to drive it,‘ why are you such an asshole? I talked to his manager, I asked what [horsepower] he wants, I told him that we already got the truck. Justin, I can’t wait to whoop your ass. If you don’t need it, you have friends, family, parents, just give away or give somebody who needs that, you know better.”
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With Gaethje expected to remain sidelined throughout 2026, the question of who will receive the next lightweight title shot remains unanswered. Tsarukyan has been the division’s top-ranked contender since January 2025, but his relationship with Dana White reportedly took a hit after he withdrew from UFC 311, complicating his path to a championship opportunity. The Armenian has also been relatively inactive by UFC standards, competing just once over the past 26 months.
His most recent appearance came against Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar in November 2025. Despite that, Tsarukyan’s resume remains difficult to ignore. He is currently riding a five-fight winning streak and has suffered only two losses in 12 UFC appearances. Those defeats came against Islam Makhachev in his UFC debut and a razor-close split decision loss to Mateusz Gamrot.
Since then, Tsarukyan has established himself as one of the division’s elite contenders while also building a significant following through his frequent appearances in the RAF, where he has competed almost monthly in freestyle wrestling matches. Whether that body of work is enough to secure the next crack at Gaethje and the undisputed lightweight title remains to be seen, but Tsarukyan has made it clear that he would welcome the opportunity.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.