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UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan might not get a UFC title shot anytime soon.
Last month, Tsarukyan admitted that headbutting Dan Hooker before their fight may have cost him a title shot in the UFC.
“I learned the lesson, so yeah, it could be because of the headbutt and pulling out from the title fight, and yeah, so it is what it is,”
UFC CEO Dana White has insisted that Tsarukyan needs to “work his way back” after being involved in several controversies outside of the cage.
“I wouldn’t say that he’s the odd man out, he had an opportunity, and you guys know how that played out. He’s gonna have to work his way back. I don’t give a *what the number says. He’s gonna have to work his way back. It’s just too much goes into this for those type of things to happen. You can’t do that, you can’t get the opportunity and then – it can’t end that way. He’s got to work his way back. He knows what’s going on. He knows what’s going on, and he’s got to work his way back to that title shot”.
On Saturday, Tsarukyan faced off against wrestling YouTuber Georgio Poullas at Real American Freestyle 06, and things got heated at the end of their match when the UFC fighter decided to punch his opponent in the face.
😱 ARMAN TSARUKYAN THREW PUNCHES AT GEORGIO POULLAS AT RAF 06!!
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight)
March 1, 2026
Update: More footage shows Poullas slapping Tsarukyan several times during the match.
Compilation of Georgio Poullas slapping and pushing Arman Tsarukyan during their match at RAF 06
Was Arman’s reaction justified?pic.twitter.com/f4u5R5t4jc
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 1, 2026
You could hear members of Arman’s Tsarukyan’s team yelling at Georgio Poullas for throwing punches during the match at RAF 06.
“What the f**k is that, I’m gonna knock this fool out bro. I’m gonna f**k this fool up bro” pic.twitter.com/1DM3BsN2Sy
— FULL SEND MMA (@full_send_mma) March 1, 2026