Arman Tsarukyan announced he will raffle off a pickup truck to his followers after Justin Gaethje publicly rejected the gift on the Joe Rogan podcast, saying he would not accept a truck from Tsarukyan because the two never shook hands on it. Tsarukyan said he had already coordinated with Gaethje's manager on the vehicle's color before Gaethje's refusal, and expressed frustration at the response. He added that he will settle things with Gaethje inside the cage and cannot wait for their fight.
What started as a gesture of goodwill has turned into a public dispute — and now a giveaway. Arman Tsarukyan announced on June 21 that he will raffle off a pickup truck to his followers after lightweight champion Justin Gaethje rejected the vehicle as a gift, telling the Joe Rogan podcast that he would not accept it because the two never shook hands on the offer.
Tsarukyan, 29, said he had already been in contact with Gaethje's manager and the two had discussed the truck's color before Gaethje went public with his refusal. The number-one ranked lightweight contender expressed clear frustration at the response, and made clear he intends to resolve the rivalry inside the cage, stating he cannot wait for their fight to happen. The Russian fighter, training out of American Top Team, carries a 23-3-0 record and brings a heavy wrestling-based game, averaging 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes with a 72-inch reach that is unusually long for his five-foot-seven frame.
Gaethje, 37, holds the lightweight championship and boasts one of the most aggressive striking profiles in the division. The American lands 6.48 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy — numbers that reflect his relentless forward pressure style. He holds a 28-5-0 record and trains out of Genesis Training Center in his home country.
Why it matters
- The public back-and-forth raises the temperature on what is already a high-stakes title fight between the division's champion and its top-ranked contender.
- Tsarukyan's wrestling volume versus Gaethje's elite striking output sets up a compelling stylistic contrast.
- The truck incident, now playing out publicly, adds a personal edge to what was already a significant matchup for the lightweight division.
