Arman Tsarukyan Puts Big Bucks at Stake for Freedom 250

Arman Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) will not be fighting on next Sunday night's UFC Freedom 250 on The White House lawn in Washington, DC, but he will be watching the card in the United States' capital city with interest. Specifically, he'll be watching the main event of the evening with interest.

As fight week for UFC Freedom 250 began on Sunday, so did the final countdown for the rare Sunday night showcase from the No. 1 MMA promotion in the world. Initially billed as a six-fight event on The White House grounds, the card was later amended to a seven-bout slate.

Topping the bill on the June 14 card in Washington will be the battle for the UFC Lightweight Championship. Incumbent champion Ilia Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) puts his undefeated record at risk against challenger and interim champion Justin Gaethje  (27-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) in a championship unification battle. As with all title fights, this one is five rounds at five minutes per round to close the show.

Arman Tsarukyan Makes Million-Dollar Bet for UFC Freedom 250 in Kick Stream

'Like any marquee MMA show, bettors will be putting money at stake for UFC Freedom 250. Arman Tsarukyan will be one of those bettors wagering their hard-earned cash next Sunday.

He'll be living high-stakes on June 14 as he watches UFC Freedom 250 in Washington. Earlier Sunday, Tsarukyan was a guest of Deen the Great on the latter's livestream on the Kick service. Deen and Tsarukyan were joined by boxing star Adrien Broner 

During the stream, Tsarukyan first declared that he'd be making a wager of $50,000 (USD) on the interim champion for the main event between Topuria and Gaethje at 155. This initial five-figure bet swelled to 20 times the amount, growing to a seven-figure wager, $1 million (USD.)

"Gaethje, please," Arman Tsarukyan pleaded. "Just knock him out and next day, I'll go and get the plane, down-payment on a plane.

Arman Tsarukyan Analyzes UFC Freedom 250 Main Event

During the live stream on Sunday, Arman Tsarukyan talked about the fight itself in addition to making the bet. He revealed that he'd like Topuria to win in the headlining about prior to risking the $1 million.

"Every time Gaethje fought, everybody thought he's going to lose, but he always won," he said. Tsarukyan announced that if Gaethje wins and he wins his bet on the interim champion, he'd use some of the money to purchase him a watch.

Stakes Go Much Higher Than $1 Million Bet for Tsarukyan

While the risks are already massive as is with Arman Tsarukyan's seven-figure wager, the potential windfall after a successful wager don't get more dramatic than what he stands to make should Justin Gaethje emerge victorious from the contest against Ilia Topuria next Sunday. A Gaethje win elevates him to permanent UFC Lightweight Champion.

In the event that the victory comes to pass, Tsarukyan will be headed to the pay window to collect a sizable sum of money, $5.7 million (USD.) However, if the wager happened to be a legitimate one and it wasn't placed on a sponsored betting app, he'll find himself taking a risk that no fighter should take. 

Arman Tsarukyan could be found to violate the UFC's conduct policy if this bet actually was played. In the fall of 2022, the promotion officially barred its roster from wagering on any fight happening under its banner.