UFC lightweight star Arman Tsarukyan has yet to make his first appearance of 2026, but he is already grabbing attention. Earlier this month, he appeared in back-to-back U.S. live streams, including one with UFC personality Nina Marie Daniele, instantly putting him in the spotlight. Since his RAF 05 matchup, ‘Ahalkalakets’ has stayed in America, while his PR team works strategically to make him a fan favorite. Notably, his latest kick stream with Daniele even broke the internet.

Right now, Arman Tsarukyan is all about building his fanbase and staying in Dana White’s good books as he eyes a title shot. Last month, he revealed that UFC skipped his interim title at UFC 324 to push fighters with bigger Western appeal after the UFC’s seven-year Paramount deal. While his recent interaction with Nina Marie Daniele sparked some backlash from the MMA community, the partnership worked perfectly for both.

Nina Drama x Arman Tsarukyan collab shatters records

“Hey, we took over the internet last week! I just wanna say I was the most clipped streamer in the world last week. That’s probably gonna get clipped if people are like, ‘No, she wasn’t; she’s fucking delusional.’ No, no, no, I was. That stream—my stream with Arman—was the most clipped stream,” Nina Marie Daniele told her fans during her latest Kick stream clip.

As the UFC internet face and a businesswoman, Nina Marie Daniele remains a “part-time streamer,” but after this small success, she feels motivated to push further. “There will be way more streams,” she confirms. Currently, she has 50k followers on Kick, and the number continues to climb.

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Her content with Arman Tsarukyan has drawn backlash. Some fans criticized her past as a Playboy model and accused her of seeking infamy. As the comments intensified, Nina addressed the criticism directly this week.

“I don’t know why people think. I don’t know why people are getting this f— information from. You are just putting all of your weird… projecting all of your weird insecurities from maybe the s—t you have done in your past or relationships you had in your past, and you’re just projecting it onto me,” Nina said during a recent Kick stream.

For those unfamiliar, Nina Marie Daniele creates content on her social media channels, which feature several UFC fighters. She is often seen during the fight weeks of the UFC’s numbered events alongside the fighters appearing on the card.

Over time, Nian Drama has built close friendships with stars like Alex Pereira, Sean Strickland, and Arman Tsarukyan. After his UFC 324 snub, the Armenian fighter has often featured alongside her on social media, having a playful, lighthearted banter. While fans keep pointing her out for her videos with male UFC stars, she continues with her work amid criticism. In fact, after her latest streams with Tsarukyan, each lasting over eight hours, the two had the fans mocking them.

Sean O’Malley urges Tsarukyan to return amid PR hype

Arman Tsarukyan has been working tirelessly to secure his spot in the UFC’s entertainment landscape. Despite past disappointments, he stays confident that he will earn a title shot once Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje settle the unification fight. Initially, the Russian star projected the image of a rich, spoiled kid, but his recent streams with N3on, MMA Guru, and Nina Marie Daniele have highlighted his personality and gradually won over American fans.

As a result, the lightweight UFC star has revealed a side of himself that many underestimated, and even Sean O’Malley has taken notice. Impressed by Arman Tsarukyan’s PR efforts, O’Malley now wants to see him fight in the near future.

“I wanna watch Arman fight, he styles always been super skilled, but never was like ‘I gotta see Arman fight’. After this little media thing, I want to see Arman Tsarukyan fight.”

With support from fellow UFC fighters, Tsarukyan looks set to return to the octagon soon. Rumors suggest he could be the next opponent for the winner of UFC 326: Holloway vs Oliveira rematch. Would you like to see that matchup? Share your thoughts below.