Arman Tsarukyan revealed that the UFC recently sent him an unexpected bonus payment of $42,000. The Armenian fighter stated he was unsure why he received the extra compensation, as the organization typically does not explain such payments. Tsarukyan speculated it might be related to his social media activity but admitted he did not inquire about the reason, joking that asking might prompt his manager to request a percentage. The post also mentions Sean Strickland's comments about Francis Ngannou and firearms, the upcoming Prates-Maddalena staredown where Prates appeared notably large, and Shamil Gaziev weighing around 140 kilograms despite competing at 120 kilograms with limited recovery time in Australia. Additional details were limited in the report.
Arman Tsarukyan has revealed that the UFC sent him an unexpected bonus payment of $42,000, with the lightweight contender admitting he has no clear idea why the money arrived.
Tsarukyan, who fights out of Armenia, disclosed the payment publicly and said the organization offered no explanation for it, which he described as typical of how the UFC handles such transfers. He speculated the bonus might be tied to his social media activity but stopped short of seeking clarification, joking that asking too many questions could prompt his manager to claim a cut of the windfall.
The report also touches on several other storylines making the rounds. Middleweight champion Sean Strickland, the 35-year-old American training out of Xtreme Couture who carries a 31-7-0 record, made comments referencing Francis Ngannou and firearms, though the specifics of those remarks were not detailed. Separately, a faceoff between Rafael Prates and Jack Della Maddalena reportedly raised eyebrows when Prates appeared notably large ahead of their meeting. Della Maddalena, the 29-year-old Australian ranked fourth in the welterweight division and 13th pound-for-pound, carries an 18-4-0 record and lands significant strikes at a 51 percent accuracy rate.
Also mentioned is heavyweight Shamil Gaziev, who competes at the 265-pound limit but was reportedly weighing around 140 kilograms — well above the roughly 120-kilogram mark the report references — with limited recovery time available on the Australian card. The 36-year-old from Bahrain, ranked 11th in the heavyweight division with a 14-3-0 record, stands six-foot-four with a 78-inch reach and fights out of KHK MMA.
Why it matters
- Unexpected UFC bonus payments are rare enough to generate attention and suggest the organization values Tsarukyan's profile or activity outside the cage
- Gaziev's reported weight situation raises questions about how fighters manage the heavyweight cut timetable in remote-location events
- Della Maddalena's faceoff optics matter given his standing as a top-five welterweight and pound-for-pound ranked contender
