Justin Gaethje publicly rejected Arman Tsarukyan's offer of a pickup truck during an appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast, stating he would not accept a vehicle from his rival given that the two never made any agreement. Tsarukyan responded during a livestream, saying he had already arranged for the truck to be prepared for Gaethje and had even coordinated color preferences with Gaethje's manager. With the gift declined, Tsarukyan announced he will instead raffle the truck among his followers, adding that he looks forward to finishing Gaethje in their upcoming fight.
What started as a goodwill gesture between two lightweight rivals has turned into a public giveaway, after Justin Gaethje rejected Arman Tsarukyan's offer of a pickup truck on the Joe Rogan podcast, prompting Tsarukyan to announce he will raffle the vehicle among his social media followers instead.
Gaethje, the reigning lightweight champion, made clear on the podcast that he would not accept a vehicle from Tsarukyan, stating the two had never reached any such agreement. The 37-year-old American, who trains out of Genesis Training Center, carries a 28-5-0 record and brings one of the most relentless outputs in the division, landing 6.48 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy across his career.
Tsarukyan, the number-one ranked lightweight contender, fired back during a livestream, insisting the truck had already been prepared and that he had even discussed color preferences with Gaethje's manager. The 29-year-old from Russia, fighting out of American Top Team, holds a 23-3-0 record and is one of the elite grapplers in the division, averaging 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes. At five-foot-seven with a 72-inch reach, he carries a notable reach advantage over the five-foot-eleven champion. Tsarukyan closed his response by saying he intends to finish Gaethje when the two meet.
Why it matters
- The back-and-forth raises the temperature ahead of what is already a high-stakes lightweight title fight
- Tsarukyan is the top-ranked contender, making this a straight title shot with no divisional ambiguity
- The stylistic contrast is sharp: Gaethje's elite striking volume against Tsarukyan's takedown-heavy, pressure-based attack
- The public nature of the truck dispute adds a personal edge to an already significant matchup
