Why did Arman Tsarukyan punch fan at UFC 300? New video footage shines spotlight on heated altercation
Arman Tsarukyan fought Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 but threw punches at more than one person on April 13.
While walking out to the Octagon, Tsarukyan was seen on camera throwing a punch at an unnamed man in the crowd who was reaching over the rail barrier. Tsarukyan has yet to speak publicly on the incident but fan speculation from various viewpoints has led many to conclude that the fighter was prompted by being given the middle finger.
No released video has been able to show if the fan in question said anything to Tsarukyan but the lightweight's reaction suggested there was dialogue.
Arman Tsarukyan's opponent, Oliveira, was a huge fan favorite, and the former faced constant harassment all throughout fight week that appeared to reach a boiling point during his walkout.
"Akhalkalakets" proved his doubters wrong in the fight, winning the back-and-forth bout by split decision. Tsarukyan survived two tight submission attempts including a guillotine choke in round one and a D'Arce choke attempt at the end of the fight.
With the win, Tsarukyan likely becomes the no. 1 contender in the lightweight division, as Oliveira entered the bout as no. 1.
Dana White reacts to Arman Tsarukyan punching fan
As expected, Dana White was asked about the situation involving Arman Tsarukyan seemingly punching a fan during his walkout to the Octagon on the UFC 300 main card. White did not seem to be too bothered by the interaction, dismissing the question and saying he would deal with it at a later date.
White blamed the fan as the instigator, saying:
"Yeah, you might not want to hang over the things and grab people when they're walking out. These guys are all f****** hyped up and whatever and I'm sure we're probably gonna get sued. We'll deal with that on Monday, too."
The fan was not publicly identified and therefore it is not widely known his thoughts on the exchange and if he plans to press charges as White predicted.