Arman Tsarukyan, who has been named the official backup fighter for the lightweight title clash between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, stunned viewers during a recent livestream when he appeared to place a massive $1 million wager on Gaethje to win next weekend’s historic White House main event.
Tsarukyan backs Gaethje with massive wager
The moment unfolded during a livestream featuring influencer Deen The Great and former four-division boxing world champion Adrien Broner.
As the conversation turned to the UFC Freedom 250 card, Tsarukyan made it clear he believes Gaethje can pull off one of the biggest upsets of the year. To prove his confidence, he pulled out his phone and appeared to place a $1 million bet at a UFC betting app.
The move shocked everyone watching, including members of Tsarukyan’s own team. The Armenian contender then laughed about the situation and joked that his father would not be happy about such an expensive gamble.
If the wager is genuine, the payout would be enormous. Tsarukyan showed his phone to the camera, indicating that a successful bet would return approximately $5.7 million, at current UFC odds.
Questions remain about legitimacy of the bet
Despite the viral reaction, some fans have questioned whether the wager was actually real. During the livestream, Tsarukyan asked ask how many zeroes are in a million before entering the amount.
On top of that, since he is the backup fighter for this fight, betting on it could see him barred from the fight by the Athletic Commission.
Gaethje chasing career-defining upset
Gaethje enters the White House main event as a significant underdog against the undefeated lightweight champion.
The former interim titleholder remains one of the division’s most dangerous fighters, but questions continue to surround his chances after several brutal wars inside the Octagon.
Two years ago, Gaethje suffered a devastating knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300. Topuria later knocked out Holloway as well, and if MMA math holds up, that should make him the clear favorite.
Still, I wonder what will happen if Gaethje gets hit by Topuria’s best shots, and does not go down.