One punch thrown in the heat of the moment could have ended Arman Tsarukyan’s run in the RAF, but the promotion’s chief has shared a verdict that might surprise fans. After a huge brawl erupted with Georgio Poullas at the RAF 6 event, Tsarukyan landed a punch after winning the wrestling match, which put most of the blame on him and raised suspicions of a ban.

Addressing the rumors of a ban, RAF CEO Chad Bronstein confirmed that Arman Tsarukyan is not suspended from competing on their platform. Moreover, the freestyle wrestling promotion’s head honcho also hinted that the UFC lightweight standout could collide with Georgio Poullas in a rematch.

“We’re not done,” Bronstein told MMA Fighting. “When we talked to him after the match, we were deciding. Again, we went to the press, we didn’t know. It was like you were shocked at the moment. You had to watch the film and stuff like that. Arman, he comes and performs at every event for us.

“We’ve never had an incident with him, and I think that was a unique incident due to the matchup and the aggressiveness in that matchup. Arman Tsarukyan hasn’t been banned from the RAF. I mean, Arman’s a competitor. And I have nothing but respect for Arman, and I think Arman will take the matchup,” he added.

Well, the RAF CEO not banning Tsarukyan does make sense. Although the top brass showed disappointment over the brawl, it also gave them much-needed traction from the fans. That’s why the rematch, which was initially scheduled under HYPE FC, was swiftly shifted to RAF, as Bronstein himself claimed the rivalry should see its ending at their promotion, where it all started.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

Now, as the Arman Tsarukyan and Georgio Poullas rematch approaches, there’s a chance the bout could be as heated as the last one. But before that, the Ohio native has addressed the fouls committed during the freestyle encounter.

Georgio Poullas opens up about fouling against Arman Tsarukyan at the RAF event

Alongside Akhalkalakets’ pretty clear punch after the match, Georgio Poullas’ fouls during the clash also came to light. Some footage circulating on social media showed the amateur wrestler poking the UFC fighter in the eyes and slapping him mid-fight, clearly instigating unnecessary violence. Since then, fans have waited to hear from Poullas, and he assured everyone that the fouls were unintentional.

“I did poke him in the eye, but I’ll tell you, that was not intentional,” the amateur wrestler said. “I don’t ever try to intentionally wrestle dirty. That’s just not who I am. I think Arman just wasn’t used to wrestling at the D-1 level. You’re collar-tying, you’re hand-fighting, and I don’t think he ever got that kind of pressure on him in a match. I’m clubbing hard, I’m trying to get my underhooks, and I think he didn’t know how to react,” he added.

As Poullas questioned Tsarukyan’s ability to deal with the grappling intricacies, it is important to note that the UFC fighter has already faced other wrestlers. He fought decorated NCAA wrestler Lance Palmer at RAF 5 and still won the match. With that fact intact, Poullas’ claim that the Armenian is not used to mat exchanges seems a bit out of proportion. Still, the exchange shows that the rivalry between them remains heated.

That said, as Arman Tsarukyan and Georgio Poullas prepare to collide in a rematch, who do you have winning the wrestling match this time? Let us know in the comments section below.