The bad blood between UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan and grappler Georgio Poullas began long before they stepped on the mat at Real American Freestyle 6 this past Saturday. From the opening whistle at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona, the match was less a wrestling contest and more a street fight with referees. Poullas repeatedly clubbed at Tsarukyan’s head and employed rough tactics, leading to multiple stoppages and warnings from the official.
Immediately after the final buzzer, Tsarukyan charged at Poullas and took him down before engaging in an all-out brawl. The scene erupted as coaches, teammates, and security swarmed the stage, with UFC welterweight Colby Covington among those attempting to intervene (via Championship Rounds on X):
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Bad Blood Rematch is Set
Rather than letting the dust settle, the two rivals are diving right back into the fire. Hype FC announced Tuesday that Tsarukyan and Poullas will run it back in a 10-minute, submission-only grappling match on March 11 at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The organization announced the rematch via Instagram:
The event will also feature Jorge Masvidal facing Shara “Bullet” Magomedov and UFC featherweight Jean Silva in action, but all eyes will be on the grudge match headliners.
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Tsarukyan, who was already scheduled for the Hype FC card, defended his decision to step back into competition so quickly and even suggested the UFC should appreciate his actions at RAF 6.
He showed no remorse when addressing the incident on The Ariel Helwani Show:
“They should be happy that a UFC fighter didn’t let anyone beat him,” Tsarukyan said. “UFC fighter number one went into freestyle wrestling, beat the freestyle wrestler, and showed the level of the UFC.”
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He stated bluntly, “No, no, this is not my fault. Everybody is on my side now. I was waiting six minutes, and he was punching me. How long do you want me to wait?”
Arman Tsarukyan of Georgia battles Dan Hooker of New Zealand in a lightweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena (ABHA Arena) in Doha, Qatar, on November 22, 2025. (Photo by Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The 29-year-old remains confident despite this being his third high-profile altercation in under two years, following him punching a fan at UFC 300 and headbutting Dan Hooker the night before UFC Fight Night 265.
Georgio Poullas Reacts
In the aftermath, Poullas took to social media from the back of an ambulance, wearing a neck brace and firing back at his attacker (via MMA UNCENSORED on X):
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“To Arman, you’re a little b—,” Poullas said, also claiming he was jumped by Tsarukyan’s posse while his 62-year-old father and brothers came to his rescue.
Poullas also spoke to Helwani and even challenged Arman to an MMA fight, revealing that he spoke to UFC President Dana White about fighting Tsarukyan in the UFC:
Tsarukyan’s UFC Path Moving Forward
Despite the controversy, Tsarukyan’s focus remains on UFC gold, and he revealed that his path may finally be clearing up.
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Arman TsarukyanGetty Images
(Getty Images)
He told Helwani that he has been in talks with UFC executive Hunter Campbell about a potential lightweight title shot in September or October, following the expected title unification bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje.
Before then, however, eyes will be on his grappling rivalry with Georgio Poullas at Hype FC.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the MMA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
