UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan. [Getty Images]
UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan. [Getty Images]

Arman Tsarukyan (29, Russia/Armenia), the UFC lightweight contender known for flaunting his wealth on social media — including footage of himself boarding a private jet — has softened his stance, acknowledging he is not the richest fighter in the promotion.

Outside the octagon, Tsarukyan cuts a very different figure from the focused, technically gifted fighter fans see on fight night. He regularly shows off a multimillion-dollar luxury car collection and documents his private jet travels in a style more reminiscent of a Middle Eastern oil magnate than a professional athlete.

He has also taken aim at rivals who flaunt their own wealth. He once mocked fellow 29-year-old and former champion Ilia Topuria (Georgia/Spain) — a national hero in Spain — for posing on a red carpet bearing his own name after stepping off a private plane.

Now a note of humility has crept in. In a recent interview with Russian-language outlet Vpiska, Tsarukyan said fighters like Alex Pereira earn two to three times more than him through fight purses and sponsorships. "Islam Makhachev is the same — he is a millionaire too," he added.

Even so, the comment appears to undersell the gap. Pereira, who signed a new eight-fight deal with the UFC in March, is reported to have earned $10 million at the White House card in June, with the total value of his contract estimated at $40 million to $50 million. Tsarukyan, by contrast, earns $500,000 per fight.

Beyond his fight purse, Tsarukyan reportedly pulls in $2 million to $3 million in sponsorship revenue — unusually high for a non-champion. Pereira, a former two-division champion, is also believed to command substantial sponsorship income. Taking that into account, Pereira likely earns five to ten times more per year.

There is another distinction worth noting. Unlike the self-made Pereira or Topuria, Tsarukyan comes from a wealthy family: his father built a successful construction business in Russia. His fight earnings alone would not cover the cost of a private jet. The family business is too small to qualify as a full-blown oligarch operation, but it relies heavily on government contracts — a background that feeds the "nouveau riche" image his social media presence has cultivated.

Meanwhile, Tsarukyan predicted that Makhachev — who successfully defended the welterweight title and extended his UFC record to 17 consecutive wins, the most in promotion history — will continue to dominate his division. "Maybe prime Kamaru Usman could have done it, but that Usman no longer exists," he said, adding that Michael Morales could pose a potential threat but that no one right now can reliably beat Makhachev.

Tsarukyan, who has struggled to secure a title shot, is set to face Mauricio Ruffy (Brazil) at UFC 331 on Sept. 20 Korean Standard Time.


yjc@heraldcorp.com