The title picture at 155 pounds has been a mess lately. Champions get hurt, contenders pull out, and fans get frustrated. Now fans have a new wrinkle that makes everything even more complicated. Arman Tsarukyan is ready to put his money where his mouth is against Ilia Topuria, and he is talking serious cash here.<\/p>
Tsarukyan was supposed to fight Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 in January for the lightweight title. But a back injury forced him to withdraw, leaving fans disappointed and Dana White frustrated. That pullout still haunts Tsarukyan today. Meanwhile, Ilia Topuria shocked the world by beating Charles Oliveira at UFC<\/a> 317 to claim the lightweight crown. The Georgian-Spanish fighter looked unstoppable, finishing one of the greatest lightweights ever. Now he’s the champion, and Tsarukyan wants his shot. But there’s a problem: Topuria doesn’t want to fight him next.<\/p> When someone refuses to fight you, what do you do? If you’re Arman Tsarukyan, you make it impossible to ignore by throwing money at the problem. Speaking on the Overdogs podcast<\/strong>, Tsarukyan proposed a side bet worth half a million dollars.<\/p> “I can put like half a million if he beat me. If I beat him, he’s gonna give me a half a million. If he wants to make that, I’m down. We can shake hands, fight.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>Arman Tsarukyan Wages A Half Million Dollar Challenge<\/h2>