More often than not, Arman Tsarukyan’s actions outside the cage have sparked controversy and drawn the attention of Dana White and the UFC brass. This time, however, the top lightweight contender may have pushed the promotion’s legal boundaries with an audacious betting move.

The Armenian recently appeared alongside social media influencer Deen The Great and former world champion boxer Adrien Broner on a KICK stream. During the stream, Tsarukyan seemingly placed a staggering $1 million bet on Justin Gaethje to defeat Ilia Topuria at the UFC White House main event, which is actually an illegal move.

“How many zeros is 1 million?” Tsarukyan said while placing the bet through his phone. “Oh, it’s 10 million, right? I don’t have 10 million. Crazy! My balance: thousand dollars, forty-five. Bro, my heart… Bro, if my dad sees this!” 

While Arman Tsarukyan didn’t clarify which platform he used for placing the wager, the UI on his phone appeared to be from Jack.com, a gaming and sportsbook website. And once he had placed the $1 million bet on Justin Gaethje to beat Ilia Topuria, he held up the phone to show the viewers he had indeed placed the bet. Considering Gaethje is a heavy underdog, if he wins, according to what the screen said, Arman Tsarukyan’s estimated payout could be $5.7 million, provided the odds remain unchanged and Justin Gaethje manages to win the fight on June 14. However, there are some more immediate concerns for the UFC lightweight contender if he has indeed placed the bet for real.

According to the updated UFC Athlete Conduct Policy from 2022, fighters are “prohibited from placing any wagers (directly or through a third party) on any UFC match,” regardless of whether they are on the fight card or not. As such, if he has placed the bet, the 29-year-old may have violated a strict UFC rule.

The rule extends to the coaching staff and supporting team as well. However, the rule does not prohibit fighters from promoting or being sponsored by betting-related companies. Regardless, the rule dates back to 2022, and the UFC penalizes fighters in violation of it pretty strictly.

A well-known MMA coach, James Krause, who ran a popular gambling Discord channel called ‘1% Club’, allegedly placed a large bet against his fighter, Darrick Minner, to lose to his opponent Shayilan Nuerdanbieke in their November 2022 matchup after knowing very well that Minner was going into the fight injured. After Minner got knocked out by Nuerdanbieke in the very first round, the suspicious betting activity became evident.

In the ensuing investigation, multiple people, including coach James Krause and Darrick Minner, were held accountable, and the fight exposed severe violations that forced the UFC to strictly overhaul and enforce its betting policies.

With that history, Arman Tsarukyan may have entered dangerous territory by placing a bet on the Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje fight, leading many fans to believe that he violated a strict UFC rule.

Fans believe Arman Tsarukyan violated UFC betting rules with $1 million wager

One fan chimed in and wrote, “Arman is cooked man 😂😂 you cant bet on UFC.” Followed by another user commenting, “Wait, I thought they banned fighters from betting on any UFC fights after the scandal last year.”

As mentioned earlier, the UFC issued a rule in 2022 prohibiting fighters from placing bets on fights under its jurisdiction. So, some time has certainly passed since the promotion introduced that policy. However, betting-related controversy resurfaced last year after allegations linked Isaac Dulgarian to a suspicious betting scandal following his first-round submission loss to Yadier Del Valle.

Echoing the thoughts, another fan wrote, “Wow just committed a federal crime😭”, which prompted a different user to remind everyone that, “Current ufc fighter betting on ufc fights very illegal.”

It remains unclear whether the promotion would treat this incident as a strict rule violation or a mere slap on the wrist. However, fighters can face lengthy suspensions, contractual issues, or even be released from the promotion if they are found guilty. In Dulgarian’s case, the promotion immediately removed him from the roster. 

As many fans became convinced that Tsarukyan had broken the rule, a user commented, “Bruh just donated 😂”. Of course, if the Armenian placed the wager as part of a sponsorship arrangement, it may be treated as a promotional stunt rather than a real bet.

However, another fan seemed far more interested in Tsarukyan backing Gaethje. “Lol I have a feeling Justin is gonna be the one to make topuria look human loool 😭 max Charles and Volk should’ve been the ones but I just have a nasty feeling it’s gonna be Justin punching up ilia.”

If Gaethje pulls off the upset, Tsarukyan could stand to win a massive payout, considering ‘The Highlight’ is currently a sizable underdog. That said, whether he actually gets to collect those winnings could depend on any potential issues that emerge once the news reaches the UFC brass.