This week, UFC lightweight top-ranked star Arman Tsarukyan is set to face former UFC flyweight star Muhammad Mokaev in a HYPE grappling match on Brazilian soil. Mokaev will move up nearly two divisions to challenge the Armenian-Russian standout on March 11. Originally, ‘Ahalkalakets’ was scheduled to face his rival, former Ohio wrestling champion Georgio Poullas, but the fight fell through shortly after the announcement. Now, the newly appointed head of HYPE FC has explained why.

Tsarukyan and Poullas sparked their rivalry during their last meeting at RAF 06 last month. In a heated wrestling match, Georgio Poullas used illegal moves that pushed the Armenian phenom to the edge, causing him to lose control. Arman Tsarukyan threw punches at Poullas, and as a result, both teams became involved in a brawl-like situation after the final bell. At the time, the duo called each other out for a rematch, and HYPE offered their platform. However, the Ohio native eventually withdrew, which the HYPE FC head recently clarified.

The HYPE FC head revealed in an interview that he had offered Poullas a $2.6 million contract for seven fights, but Poullas turned it down.

“My final offer to him was $2.6 million for seven matches. I think this must be the biggest contract in wrestling history,” Martirosian told Red Corner MMA in Rio de Janeiro. “Maybe he didn’t believe we could actually afford that amount of pay. That’s what he actually said: ‘I don’t believe you’ll pay me this money, it’s too big.'”

Instead of signing with HYPE FC, Georgio Poullas accepted an offer from Real American Freestyle, where his rivalry with Arman Tsarukyan originally began. On March 28, at RAF 07 in Tampa, Florida, the two will face off again. Previously a co-main event, their heated rivalry now elevates to the main event to drive ticket sales.

Meanwhile, Poullas’s career continues to rise, drawing growing attention, while the brawl also put Tsarukyan on Dana White’s radar. As a result, White recently sent a warning to the Armenian.

Unlike Tsarukyan, Georgio Poullas has yet to make a name at the UFC level, but he built his reputation competing in NCAA Division I wrestling at the collegiate level. However, this week the duo also met at UFC 326, though they kept their distance. In the meantime, the buildup for Arman Tsarukyan’s rematch with Georgio Poullas has begun, and their rivalry is heating up again.

Arman Tsarukyan throws shade at Georgio Poullas ahead of RAF 07 rematch

Georgio Poullas didn’t waste any time after his RAF 06 outing, where Arman Tsarukyan defeated him 5-3. Since officials didn’t declare a winner due to the score and penalty points, Poullas immediately demanded a rematch and even told Tsarukyan to stop “crying” about the cheating allegations.

In response, ‘Ahalkalakets’ accepted the challenge to stay active outside the UFC while waiting for a title shot. At the same time, he fired back at the Ohio native.

“He’s gotta say, ‘Thank you so much, Arman. You made my name bigger,'” Arman Tsarukyan said. “Furthermore, I would like to grapple with him, and then I would like to do MMA sparring with him. I would like to pay him money and say, ‘Let’s do sparring.’ … Whatever he wants.

I don’t want to do it for hype. I just want to do it for me, kick his a** so bad. He’s going to pay for that. I’m just doing [it] for myself, for fun. This is a bulls** guy — I cannot fight [him in UFC], just in the gym. Kick his a* in the gym.”

So, weigh in on the upcoming Arman Tsarukyan vs. Georgio Poullas matchup. Do you think Georgio Poullas can actually pull off the biggest upset in RAF wrestling by defeating Tsarukyan? Drop your prediction below.