At UFC 311, Arman Tsarukyan was set to face Islam Makhachev in what was promised to be an all-out war. But just moments before the fight, Tsarukyan shockingly pulled out, citing a back injury. That single decision derailed his momentum, as he hasn’t fought since UFC 300. Adding fuel to the fire, fans pointed fingers at his time spent with Nina Marie Daniele, dubbing it the “Nina Curse.” But what does Tsarukyan really think about it? Let’s find out.

Now, if you have been following the drama, then you know that the debate about the “Nina Curse” has been ongoing in the UFC ever since Nina Marie Daniele started interviewing fighters before their big fights. Belal Muhammad was reportedly so terrified of the curse that he refused to train with her. Fighters like Shara Magomedov, Kai Asakura, and even Alex Pereira have allegedly fallen victim to the so-called “Nina Curse.”

Well, the fans might believe it’s real, but Arman Tsarukyan doesn’t care about it. On the OverDogs podcast, when the host asked if he believed in the “Nina Curse,” the lightweight division’s number one contender replied, “No way. No.” Mike Perry then chimed in, adding that Merab Dvalishvili also doesn’t care about the absurd “Nina Curse.”

Apart from Alexander Volkanovski, no one has managed to break the curse, though many believe it’s nothing more than internet hype. When asked about it, Nina Marie Daniele straight out denied the curse: “There is no Nina Drama curse, and if you lose, it’s your fault.” Well, it appears that after tons of irrelevant bashing, Nina is done with the jokes.

Is the ‘Nina Curse’ real? The fighters who lost after spending time with her never pointed fingers; it’s mostly the internet fueling the jokes and speculation. Well, Arman Tsarukyan doesn’t believe in it. Interestingly, the number one contender is now planning to fight Ilia Topuria, and he has even thrown in a massive $500,000 for the clash.

Arman Tsarukyan bets huge on a fight with Ilia Topuria

At UFC 317, Ilia Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira in the very first round to win the vacant lightweight title. Since then, Topuria has received numerous fight requests, one of which came from Arman Tsarukyan. Officially, the number one contender, Tsarukyan, was snubbed by the UFC due to his antics at UFC 311. However, despite the setback, he hasn’t given up on his pursuit of the title.

In his conversation with Mike Perry, Tsarukyan stated that he is ready to put in money to fight for the lightweight title: “I can put like half a million if he beats me. If I beat him, he’s gonna give me a half a million. If he wants to make that, I’m down. We can shake hands, fight.” Arman Tsarukyan made quite a proposition, but as enticing as it is, Ilia Topuria seems in no mood to grant him a title shot.

‘El Matador’ is now exploring his options, whether it’s Paddy Pimblett, Max Holloway, or even Arman Tsarukyan. He’s looking for opponents that could eventually lead him to a title fight with Islam Makhachev.