RAF 06 was already chaotic. Slaps were exchanged during the match, a takedown was disputed, and then punches were thrown after the final whistle. Arman Tsarukyan vs. Georgio Poullas didn’t just end; it exploded. And when the teams rushed in, and bodies piled up, it felt like one of those situations that could have escalated even further.

Apparently, it almost did. Because, as the dust settled in Arizona, the Armenian’s phone lit up. On the other end? Khamzat Chimaev, the UFC middleweight champion, was ready to board a plane.

Arman Tsarukyan reveals Khamzat Chimaev wanted in on the chaos

“He just called me right away and say, ‘Brother, should I fly out?'” Arman Tsarukyan told Ariel Helwani. “‘Should I come?’ I said, ‘Don’t come, bro.’ Calm down.

“He’s like, why didn’t you even invite me? When there is a fight, you never invite me. Like, I gotta be there.”

Arman Tsarukyan laughed as he recalled it. And the timing speaks for itself. The brawl wasn’t even cold yet, but ‘Borz’ already felt left out. That energy? It instantly reminds one of Conor McGregor flying across the world after Khabib Nurmagomedov confronted Artem Lobov in 2018.

We all know how that story ended: bus windows shattered, arrests made, and chaos everywhere. ‘Ahalkalakets,’ at least this time, played the calmer friend. It might seem baffling that an out-of-competition wrestling brawl didn’t derail his title hopes, but the UFC historically monetizes mayhem.

Just like McGregor’s dolly incident that fueled UFC 229 promos, Tsarukyan’s fiery temperament translates to box office appeal. At least that’s how the matchmakers see it; chaos outside the cage often equates to cash inside it.

“I said, ‘No, no, no, bro,'” the Armenian continued. “Khamzat shouldn’t be there. Me and Khamzat, we shouldn’t be together on the fights.”

When asked about who the crazier one was between the two, the answer was quite obvious for the Tsarukyan.

“Oh, for sure him,” he replied. “Because everybody’s scared of him. I wouldn’t do with him.

I wouldn’t fight him too.”

It’s a predictable dynamic for two fighters who train together in California and clearly feed off of each other’s intensity. Khamzat Chimaev has never been known for sitting things out. He’s the type who hears the word “brawl” and immediately thinks, “Location?” Luckily, it didn’t escalate beyond that phone call.

Khamzat Chimaev isn’t one to make empty threats, especially after his UFC 279 backstage brawl canceled an entire press conference. With Poullas’s team already swarming the mats, Arman Tsarukyan knew inviting ‘Borz’ meant trading a localized scuffle for an uncontrollable international incident.

No private jet, or a second wave of chaos. But the fact that it was even on the table reveals everything about their relationship. If Arman Tsarukyan is fire, Khamzat Chimaev is gasoline. So, it seems like sometimes it’s a good thing someone says, “Don’t come,” especially when ‘Ahalkalakets’ revealed there finally have been talks for a title fight in September or October.

Arman Tsarukyan nears title shot

Arman Tsarukyan has been keeping active while waiting for his next UFC assignment, stepping into wrestling and grappling contests to stay sharp. He defeated Georgio Poullas by decision at RAF 06 on Saturday in a grueling match that was already physical from the start and ended in the post-fight brawl.

Given the Armenian’s history of heated situations, such as the Dan Hooker headbutt and an altercation with a fan, many instantly wondered if this incident could hurt his standing with the UFC even further. Well, it seems like that isn’t the case, as ‘Ahalkalakets’ met with UFC matchmaker Hunter Campbell, and he has been offered several potential fights.

“I already talked to Hunter a couple of weeks ago; we’ve got a couple of options,” Tsarukyan told Ariel Helwani. “Like, title fights, like just (normal) fights, I don’t know, we’ll see how it plays out.”

“Any (title fight). 170 lbs, 145 lbs, 155 lbs. A fight for the 155 lb title (is the most appealing option they gave me), in like September or October, after Justin (fights for the title). Yes (we spoke about fighting the winner of Max Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira).”

According to the lightweight contender, it was a good meeting because he was on really good terms with Hunter Campbell. In fact, Arman Tsarukyan claims that the UFC asked him to keep doing what he’s been doing so far. So, it sure looks like the Armenian’s PR run is finally getting him into the UFC’s good books. With the UFC’s blessing, a title shot now seems to be a matter of when, not if.