The last time Arman Tsarukyan and Georgio Poullas met, the real fight started after the bell, erupting into a brawl that put the RAF promotion on the map for all the wrong reasons. As the pair nears a rematch, an RAF official has made it clear that a repeat won’t be tolerated this time.

Tsarukyan will face the NCAA wrestling standout in a rematch at RAF 7 on March 28. While the location is different, the energy around that bout remains the same, with many expecting another brawl. However, RAF official and former UFC welterweight Ben Askren has confirmed that extra security will be in place for the event in Tampa, Florida, and that the ruleset will be firmly enforced without exception.

Ben Askren speaks on security measures in place for Tsarukyan vs. Poullas 2

“I know RAF, we’ve talked about this,” Ben Askren told MMA Fighting. “There’s going to be extra security. We cannot let what happened last time, the chaotic fight, we can’t let that happen. We’ve got to keep it under control. I know the referees are going to be coached up and the athletes ‘here’s what’s legal, here’s what’s illegal.’ We’re going to call it the way it should be called.

“Hand jamming to the face is not allowed in international wrestling. You can’t do that. So that is a caution and a penalty. You get three cautions, the match is over and you’re disqualified. It’s pretty simple.”

For those unaware of what sparked the original incident: Georgio Poullas repeatedly slapped Arman Tsarukyan in the face during their match, a move classified as illegal hand jamming under international wrestling rules. The No. 2-ranked UFC lightweight held in his anger till the end of the bout. As soon as the final bell rang, Tsarukyan pounced on Poullas, landing several blows and elbows on the social media star. Soon, the teams got involved, and a melee ensued.

Something of the nature was unlike anything previously seen at an RAF event, and left promotion executive Eric Bischoff visibly frustrated during the post-fight press conference. This time around, though, Ben Askren, who joined the RAF as an ambassador and official last year, said another fiasco like that won’t be entertained, no matter what.

“We’re going to have a wrestling match that is refereed by the rules. It’s not going to be loose anymore,” the UFC veteran added. “We’re going to have extra security. This will not get out of hand. There will not be another brawl. Does one of them get disqualified? I can’t tell you on that one. If they don’t want to abide by the rules of freestyle wrestling, that might happen. I’m not sure. But it will be tighter than the last time.”

Even though such physical altercations are usually called out, Tsarukyan and Poullas didn’t receive any punishments. And just a month after their brawl, the two will scrap again. But before the rematch, the Armenian issued a strict warning himself.

Arman Tsarukyan warns Georgio Poullas ahead of RAF 7 rematch

The first fight saw Arman Tsarukyan securing a 5-3 decision win over Georgio Poullas. But what transpired after the fight seemingly put the American wrestler into the bad books of Tsarukyan. As such, this time, he is not ready to entertain any of Poullas’ tricks during their fight.

“I’m in the UFC,” said Tsarukyan in an interview with Fox Nation. “And for me, it’s bad to fight somebody somewhere [else], especially with wrestlers. They don’t know how to fight. I can break his arms, his head. It’s dangerous because we know how to use our hands, elbows, kicks, it could be dangerous for him.”

Unlike Poullas, Tsarukyan is a renowned MMA fighter who, apart from just slams and grappling, knows many other things. Notably, one such thing is to injure his opponents badly. The Armenian holds nine knockout victories across his MMA career.

Such stats do highlight Tsarukyan’s ability to land effective strikes on his opponents. And with Poullas, the UFC lightweight has asserted that he wouldn’t budge this time.

On that note, how do you think the rematch at RAF 7 pans out? Also, even Colby Covington vs. Dillon Danis is on the same card, another matchup with its own potential for fireworks outside the mat. So, could there be a potential brawl there? We’ll find out soon.