UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan was handed a 9-month suspension and a 25k fine stemming from an altercation with a fan at UFC 300.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) made the announcement on Tuesday.
The suspension would take Tsarukyan out of action until Jan 2025 which may take him out of the lightweight title picture for the foreseeable future. He does have an opportunity to lower that to 6 months should he complete an anti-bullying public service announcement for the commission. That scenario brings him back by October and in play for a matchup with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
Tsarukyan punched a fan during his walkout at UFC 300 where he defeated Charles Oliveira via split-decision. Tsarukyan said a fan had shown him the middle finger and the fighter punched the fan.
“He showed me ‘f*ck you’ and he wanted to punch me and I wanted to punch him back. That’s it,” he told reporters at his post-fight scrum.
“So guys, no one show me ‘f*ck you’. It doesn’t matter who you are, I’m going to punch you in the face.”
Tsarukyan is expected to complete the PSA for the commission reducing his suspension. The commission made it clear that if anything of the sort happens again Tsarukyan will deal with more severe consequences.
