Justin Gaethje publicly rejected a pickup truck offered to him by Arman Tsarukyan, stating on the Joe Rogan podcast that he would not accept a gift from Tsarukyan since no handshake deal was made and the bet winnings belong solely to Arman. Tsarukyan responded on a livestream, explaining he had coordinated with Gaethje's manager on the truck's color and had already taken possession of the vehicle before seeing Gaethje's comments. Following the rejection, Tsarukyan announced he will instead raffle the truck among his followers, adding that he cannot wait to defeat Gaethje in their upcoming fight.
What began as a gesture of goodwill has turned into a public back-and-forth between lightweight champion Justin Gaethje and top contender Arman Tsarukyan, culminating in Tsarukyan announcing he will raffle off a pickup truck among his followers after Gaethje refused to accept it as a gift.
Gaethje, appearing on the Joe Rogan podcast, made clear he would not take the truck. The 37-year-old American, who fights out of Genesis Training Center, said no handshake deal had ever been made and that any bet winnings belonged to Tsarukyan alone. The champion carries a 28-5-0 record in the lightweight division and lands an imposing 6.48 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy, making him one of the most dangerous stand-up fighters in the sport.
Tsarukyan pushed back during a livestream, saying he had already coordinated the truck's color with Gaethje's manager and had taken possession of the vehicle before seeing the champion's public comments. The 29-year-old Russian, ranked first in the lightweight division with a 23-3-0 record, made no secret of his frustration. Training out of American Top Team, Tsarukyan brings a relentless grappling attack to go along with his striking, averaging 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes. He closed his response by stating he cannot wait to face Gaethje inside the cage.
Rather than let the truck sit idle, Tsarukyan announced it will be given away to one of his followers through a raffle.
Why it matters
- The episode adds a layer of personal friction ahead of what is already a high-stakes title fight between the division's champion and its top-ranked contender.
- Gaethje's refusal to accept the gift signals there is no goodwill between the two camps, sharpening the rivalry.
- Tsarukyan's grappling volume will contrast starkly with Gaethje's elite striking output, setting up a compelling stylistic clash at 155 pounds.
