UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan is confident in his betting ability and seemingly wagered $1 million on Justin Gaethje to knock off reigning champion Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250.
Gaethje holds the interim lightweight title but enters the fight, set for June 14 on the White House lawn, as a clear betting underdog.
Key Takeaways
- Tsarukyan staked $1 million on Gaethje despite UFC rules barring contracted fighters from event wagering.
- The bet could pay $5.7 million, but Tsarukyan showed regret immediately after confirming the transaction.
- His backup-fighter role complicates the issue because he could be inserted into the same bout.
The wager was placed live on a Kick stream with former boxing champion Adrien Broner and influencer Deen The Great. Tsarukyan floated a $50,000 figure before being pushed to seven figures by those around him. If Gaethje pulls it off, Tsarukyan takes home a $5.7-million payout.
Arman Tsarukyan put $1 MILLION on Justin Gaethje to beat Ilia Topuria at the White House
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 7, 2026
If Gaethje pulls it off, Arman cashes out $5.7 MILLION
(via @DeenTheGreat) pic.twitter.com/5DIWIj9wLm
"But Gaethje, bro. Every time Gaethje fought, everybody thought he was going to lose, but he always won. Even (the) last one," Tsarukyan said on stream while explaining the reasoning behind his bet.
After placing the bet, Tsarukyan seemed to show instant regret on stream, pleading with Gaethje to deliver the upset with the promise of an expensive watch and a down payment on a private jet. Summing things up after hitting confirm, he noted that earning $1 million is a great deal harder than losing it.
However, the bet could raise integrity concerns. Contracted fighters are explicitly banned from wagering on UFC events. A 2022 memo from chief business officer Hunter Campbell, obtained by ESPN, warned that violations could result in criminal charges in certain jurisdictions.
Tsarukyan also serves as the official backup fighter for the Topuria-Gaethje main event, meaning he placed money on a fight he could be pulled into.
No formal disciplinary action has been announced.
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account
Dana White takes gambling fight to Trump
UFC president Dana White sent a letter to President Donald Trump last month, asking him to urge Congress to reverse a cap on gambling losses embedded in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The provision limits what gamblers can deduct from taxable winnings to 90% of their losses, down from the previous full 100% deduction. The practical consequence is that a bettor can finish a year down money overall and still face a federal tax bill on gross winnings.
White argued the rule makes legal betting economically unreasonable for many Americans and funnels them toward unregulated sportsbooks, eroding years of coordinated work to build legal sports betting infrastructure alongside state regulators.
He also referenced prior conversations with Trump on the topic in the correspondence. The American Gaming Association publicly backed the effort, citing the restoration of the full deduction as a top legislative priority.
Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Ted Cruz have introduced joint legislation to repeal the cap, while Rep. Dina Titus filed a separate measure in the House. Neither bill has come to a floor vote, and Trump had not publicly committed to a position.
