Arman Tsarukyan Vows Heavy Retaliation on Dillon Danis After Altercation Spills Over

Things got heated fast at the latest RAF press conference, but Arman Tsarukyan isn't letting the chaos derail his mindset. In fact, following a wild physical altercation with troublemaker Dillon Danis, the UFC title challenger says he is more dialed in than ever.

The tension boiled over during the RAF 14 presser in Los Angeles, where Tsarukyan threw a punch at Danis before security rushed in to break up the melee. Middleweight star Khamzat Chimaev was even restrained amidst the madness as chaos completely enveloped the stage. While pre-fight scuffles are nothing new when Danis is involved, Tsarukyan made it clear that the commotion only fueled his fire ahead of their upcoming grappling match.

Fuel for the Fire on the Mat

"There's always more motivation; I just need to keep myself under control," Tsarukyan said after the brawl. "I thought he'd start doing dirty stuff so the match wouldn't go ahead. However much he does, we'll do it even harder."

Tsarukyan, who boasts an impressive 24-3 professional MMA record with six straight victories inside the Octagon, is widely regarded as one of the most technical and dominant lightweights on the planet. His elite wrestling and suffocating top pressure have turned him into a nightmare for anyone in the 155-pound division. Taking on Danis in a pure wrestling environment offers Tsarukyan an ideal showcase for his relentless grappling game.

On the other hand, Danis, a decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who holds a 2-0 MMA record in Bellator, has made far more headlines for online trolling and backstage incidents than active competition in recent years. But if Danis hoped to get inside Tsarukyan’s head and throw him off his game, that strategy appears to have backfired completely.

Instead of rattling the top lightweight contender, the scuffle seems to have guaranteed that Tsarukyan won't be holding anything back when the two finally lock up on the mat.