Arman Tsarukyan, the top-ranked UFC lightweight contender, laid out his take on what drives the promotion’s biggest events. He spoke on Patrick Bet-David‘s podcast this week, pointing to past rivalries as proof. Tsarukyan argued that UFC officials favor the buildup over the action inside the cage.
Arman Tsarukyan Spills: UFC Wants Drama Not Fights
“It’s good for the UFC. You think they didn’t like it? They liked it… The sport is getting big because of drama, not because of fighting. Like Conor [McGregor], Khabib [Nurmagomedov], [Nate] Diaz… the trash talk, everything.
“Not just fighting, but what’s going on before the fight. The [McGregor] bus thing went viral too. Because of that, that fight [with Nurmagomedov] was the biggest fight in the UFC. If it wasn’t for the conflict before that, yeah, Conor-Khabib, they talk s**t in the press conference, they fight, it’s gone.”[Ht BJPenn]
He brought up Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov right away. Their 2018 clash at UFC 229 drew 2.4 million pay-per-view buys, a record that still stands. Months earlier, McGregor smashed a metal dolly through the window of a bus carrying Nurmagomedov during UFC 223 promo events in New York. The clip spread fast online and ramped up talk for their title fight.
Tsarukyan said the UFC welcomed that kind of heat. “It’s good for the UFC. You think they didn’t like it? They liked it,” he noted. He added that the sport grows through those moments, naming Nate Diaz alongside McGregor and Nurmagomedov as examples. Diaz built a fanbase on his willingness to scrap with anyone, from press conferences to street fights, which kept him relevant through years of main events.
Tsarukyan tied it back to fight week routines. Trash talk at pressers and weigh-ins pulls in eyes before gloves touch. Studies on UFC events back him up: More profanity in fighter exchanges links to higher PPV sales and social media buzz. Rivalries turn casual viewers into buyers, as seen with McGregor calling out Nurmagomedov’s religion, family, and team during their first press conference.
His own path fits the pattern. Tsarukyan pulled out of a title bout against Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 last January, one day before weigh-ins. He slapped a fan during his walkout at UFC 300 in 2024, earning a $25,000 fine and nine-month ban. Last November, he headbutted Dan Hooker at a faceoff before their UFC Qatar main event. Daniel Cormier warned him last week that such moves risk title shots, after Tsarukyan dragged Urijah Faber off-stage in a recent wrestling match.
Yet Tsarukyan sees no downside. He just beat Faber at Real American Freestyle and keeps busy with grappling while awaiting his UFC turn. UFC passed him over for lightweight interim belts given to Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje, with Dana White citing his history. Tsarukyan figures the drama only helps, much like the McGregor bus attack made UFC 229 unavoidable viewing.
Fans split on his view. Some tune in for the fights alone and skip the sideshows. Others credit promo antics for MMA’s mainstream jump.
