- Arman Tsarukyan punched a fan while walking towards Charles Oliveira at UFC 300
- The Nevada State Athletic Commission withheld part of his salary for the fight
- Tsaukyan said: “I am from Russia. Don’t do this, please. I will go to prison in the United States.
Arman Tsarukyan lost £28,400 for punching a fan as he headed to the octagon for his fight with Charles Oliveira at UFC 300.
The Russian, who beat his Brazilian opponent to qualify for the title, hit the headlines for the wrong reasons after the huge fight in Las Vegas.
He was filmed walking into the cage when a member of the crowd shouted something at him nearby.
Tsarukyan reacted instantly and attempted to punch the spectator, throwing his right hand over the barrier before continuing towards the cage.
Now the Nevada State Athletic Commission has withheld 20 percent of its £126,000 in revenue from the fight.
Arman Tsarukyan punched a fan on his way to his UFC 300 fight in Las Vegas
Tsarukyan says if a fan offends him that much, he will hit him without remorse
There will be a disciplinary hearing in May, so the amount could still change, but the commission noted that the fan in question did not wish to press charges.
After the incident, Tsarukyan was questioned about it and had no remorse, redoubled his action.
He said: “He showed me ‘fuck off’ and he wanted to hit me and I wanted to hit him back. That’s it. So guys, no one is showing me “fuck you”.
“No matter who you are, I’m going to punch you in the face. You can show me “f***” from about 200 yards away, I’m not going to hit you. But when you’re near me, I automatically come from Russia. Don’t do this, please, or I will go to prison in the United States.
Further sanction, in the form of a fine, could be imposed on Tsarukyan when the NSAC examines further footage and delivers its judgment at the next meeting.
When Dana White was asked about this, he said the fan shouldn’t be surprised by the fighter’s reaction.
Tsarukyan asserted himself with a victory over Charles Oliveira on the historic card
He said: “You might not want to lean into the thing and catch people as they’re coming out.
“These guys are all excited and it doesn’t matter. We’re probably going to get sued, we’ll deal with that on Monday as well.
Tsarukyan wasn’t the only fighter to occupy the NSAC after UFC 300.
Diego Lopes also had £4,000 taken from his purse after jumping over the cage following the win, something competitors are banned from doing.
