Arman Tsarukyan may not have a title shot lined up, but he recently achieved a different kind of victory: one that comes with fries and a viral comment section. While the UFC lightweight contender awaits his chance to go toe-to-toe with Ilia Topuria, he’s putting the heat on ‘El Matador’ in the most unexpected way: with a fast food-fueled social media troll job that has fans, fighters, and influencers talking.

In a now-viral Instagram post, ‘Akhalkalakets’ filmed himself casually sitting in his car, surrounded by boxes of burgers and fries, eating as if prepping for a food challenge. His caption? “I’m coming for Joey Chestnut next… let’s hope he doesn’t duck me too 🦆.” While it may appear to be a harmless jest, that duck emoji was anything but.

Instead, it was a clever jibe at Topuria, who has openly ridiculed the idea of granting Arman Tsarukyan a title shot. Well, it looks like the subtle dig surely landed hard, drawing a mix of laughter and support from across the fight world. One of the most viral comments came from TikTok food influencer Richard Antablian, known for his 1hourlunchbreak food videos.

“Brother, you’re about to put me out of a job,” Antablian joked in the comments, referencing Tsarukyan’s surprise move into food influencer territory. With over 1.1 million TikTok followers, Antablian’s nod showed that Tsarukyan’s troll was effective even outside MMA circles. Fighters also responded, with Khamzat Chimaev writing, “Brother, what’s going on? 🤦🏻‍♂️😂”

Mackenzie Dern and boxer Emiliano Vargas also dropped laughing and fire emojis to share their reactions to this bizarre post. But, beyond the jokes, there’s real tension between Arman Tsarukyan and Ilia Topuria. After ‘Akhalkalakets’ withdrew from UFC 311 due to a back injury, ‘El Matador’ essentially wrote him off.

“I’m never gonna give him a chance to fight for the world title,” Topuria said openly in a podcast, even stating he’d prefer to give up the belt than defend it against the Armenian. With the lightweight champion targeting names like Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett, Tsarukyan is stuck expressing his frustration, either through such indirect videos or some direct, tirade-filled rants.

Arman Tsarukyan goes off on Ilia Topuria

Arman Tsarukyan had already spoken out strongly against Ilia Topuria long before he posted the now-viral burger video. Tired of being ignored despite being ranked first, ‘Akhalkalakets’ took to X and unleashed a rant that burned the filters clean off. His target? The man with the lightweight belt.

“Who wants to let Ilia know he’s not [Conor] McGregor?” he wrote bluntly, before adding, “He’s making all the champs look bad. Champs fight the #1 contender… But this is the same guy who thinks he’s the ‘BMF.’ How do you say ‘p——’ in Spanish?” It was not a promotional jab; it was personal.

Tsarukyan, who had previously been respectful and patient, had abruptly dropped the gloves in public, letting fans know that he had had enough of the champ’s cherry-picking narrative. And with Topuria floating names like Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje, with Sean O’Malley’s approval of the move, Tsarukyan sees the writing on the wall.

If fighting ability is no longer a reason behind title shots, perhaps becoming viral will be. So, just days after the X rage, Tsarukyan doubled down. This time, not with words, but with fast food and emojis, calling ‘El Matador’ out in the most meme-worthy way possible.