Arman Tsarukyan Receives Special Barcelona Gift After El Clasico Appearance

Arman Tsarukyan recently took some time off from fighting to witness one of football's biggest rivalries in person. That El Clásico visit has now kicked off a new chapter for both Barcelona and Tsarukyan.

Arman Tsarukyan Links Up With FC Barcelona

The UFC star was spotted at Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday during La Liga Matchday 10 to see Real Madrid face FC Barcelona in their notorious rivalry. Later, 'Batman' met with the FC Barcelona team, hinting at a potential link-up. 

FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta and vice president Rafa Yuste gifted the Armenian a personalised Barcelona jersey, featuring his surname and the number 11. Raphinha is the No. 11 player for Barcelona currently, and also the only player from the team to have scored a goal on Sunday.

Tsarukyan took to Instagram, posting pictures of his encounter with the club, alongside the caption:

"Thank you to Joan Laporta and FC Barcelona for the warm welcome! Happy to be part of one of the greatest soccer clubs ever."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Arman Tsarukyan (@arm_011)

Beyond the UFC star's personal statement on his latest association with the Spanish squad, another picture also showed Tsarukyan receiving a Barcelona membership welcome package. The details of his exact membership status, however, remain under wraps.

Khabib-Arman 1-0 Following La Liga Rivalry

Arman Tsarukyan wasn't the only MMA fighter in attendance for El Clásico, with Khabib Nurmagomedov also joining for the match. While the pair enjoyed the game together, a different kind of rivalry spiced up the encounter.

The former UFC champion was rooting for Real Madrid, while Batman crossed his fingers for FC Barcelona. While the Spanish team offered strong opposition, with Raphinha equalising the score in the 61st minute of the game, Real Madrid had the last laugh.

Kylian Mbappe swiftly evaded a draw by scoring twice, in the first half and then in the 87th minute. Tsarukyan may have conceded a loss to Nurmagomedov outside the cage, but he hasn't flipped the page yet. 

"Doesn't matter if it's in the cage or on the field. The competition never ends . Barcelona will get it back," teased Tsarukyan.

With Barcelona now extending a warm welcome to Tsarukyan, the UFC star is surely hoping the Catalan giants can bounce back the next time they face their biggest rivals.