Arman Tsarukyan has never fit the usual mold of a UFC contender. While most fighters at the top of the lightweight division are juggling sponsorship deals, monetizing every viral moment, and carefully curating their public image, Tsarukyan seems oddly comfortable doing the opposite. Even when the internet turns him into a meme for demolishing absurd amounts of food, he’s in no rush to cash in.

That mindset came into focus during his recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, where Helwani admitted what many fans were already thinking. With a laugh, he told Tsarukyan he was surprised food companies hadn’t lined up to sponsor him yet.

“They reached out,” Tsarukyan replied casually. That alone raised eyebrows. But when Helwani followed up, asking if anything was in the works the lightweight star shut it down just as quickly.

“Oh, not yet, not really,” he said, before explaining why. “But, you know, I do for fun, you know? Yeah, but they offered some money, but I said, right now, I just enjoy eating.”

It’s a funny line, but it also says a lot. Arman Tsarukyan’s social media presence has become its own genre. Videos of him eating Popeyes fried chicken on a private jet, ordering 1,000 hot wings, or posting a “light breakfast” that looks like it could feed a small army routinely rack up views.

For most fighters, that kind of engagement would be an open invitation to sign endorsement deals with restaurants or food brands. For Tsarukyan, it’s apparently just fun. And that distinction matters when you consider where he’s coming from.

Unlike many fighters grinding for financial security, Tsarukyan doesn’t need sponsorship money to stay afloat. At just 29 years old, he’s already one of the most talented lightweights on the roster, and according to reports, he could walk away tomorrow and still be set for life.

His father, Nairi Tsarukyan, is a wealthy real-estate and construction entrepreneur, and the family’s net worth has been rumored to exceed £100 million. But there’s also a competitive angle here.

Despite being passed over for the interim belt at UFC 324, he remains one of the division’s most dangerous contenders. His focus, at least publicly, remains on fighting his way back into the UFC’s good graces. Locking himself into food sponsorships, especially ones that could conflict with weight cuts or training, might feel like unnecessary noise at this stage. After all, he’s already trying to mend fences with Dana White and the UFC brass!

Arman Tsarukyan apologizes to Dana White and Hunter Campbell with a promise to be a “good boy”

During a recent appearance on Daniel Cormier’s show, Tsarukyan delivered a public apology that was equal parts sincere and self-aware. He said, “Dana and Hunter Campbell, forgive me. Give me a title fight. I’ll be a good boy. I’m a good boy. And I’m not going to hit anybody anymore.”

Tsarukyan didn’t dodge the reasons he’s been sidelined. He acknowledged that training injuries happen, but promised to clean up everything else. Weight-cut chaos, confrontations, he said, those moments are done. He did leave one caveat, though: if someone hits him first, all bets are off. Still, the emphasis was on restraint, not rebellion.

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But that shift didn’t come out of nowhere. Arman Tsarukyan’s recent résumé outside the cage has been as loud as his performances inside it. In April 2024, he earned a suspension and fine after striking a fan during his walkout at UFC 300. The penalty was later reduced after he agreed to produce an anti-bullying PSA, something he ultimately didn’t follow through on.

Then came the ceremonial weigh-in headbutt of Dan Hooker in November 2025, an incident that later turned out to be far more serious than initially reported. Hooker revealed that the headbutt fractured his nose, and Dana White didn’t mince words afterward.

He confirmed the incident “100 percent” factored into the reasons behind Tsarukyan being excluded from the interim title fight at UFC 324. As such, Arman Tsarukyan’s explanation for turning down food sponsorships sounds lighthearted on the surface, but taken in full context, it reveals a fighter recalibrating every part of his career.

He doesn’t need endorsement cash to validate his lifestyle or bankroll his future. What he needs is trust from the UFC and from Dana White.