“Literally asked Dana if he could” – The NSAC withholding Arman Tsarukyan and Diego Lopes’ fight purses till hearings rile up fans

Arman Tsarukyan and Diego Lopes' NSAC hearings over UFC 300 fight-purse confiscation creates fan-frenzy over such unfathomable practices.

“Literally asked Dana if he could” – The NSAC withholding Arman Tsarukyan and Diego Lopes’ fight purses till hearings rile up fans

Arman Tsarukyan and Diego Lopes are scheduled to have hearings with the NSAC (Source: Instagram/IMAGO)

Post-UFC 300, this week saw much happen for Arman Tsarukyan. The Armenian 155lber dusted off criticism of his close decision win. Further, he argued online with Michael Chandler and geared up for a grappling match all in a week span. The fan who flipped him en route to his UFC 300 walkout has also apologized. However, it also came to light this week that his fight purse is at a stalemate for it; now, so is Diego Lopes‘ payday.

The tidbit that the NSAC had held on to both their fight purses, pending further investigation, hit earlier this Friday. MMA Junkie’s coverage journo Nolan King first shared the details on X. Diego Lopes bagged a fateful 89-second TKO over Sodiq Yusuff, pummeling him with a swarm of hammers. He had jumped the ledge of the octagon to celebrate.

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UFC Head honcho Dana White later said he permitted Lopes to such a post-fight celebratory jump, nothing a hundred other fighters haven’t done over ages. Meanwhile, Arman Tsarukyan was seen punching a fan on the UFC 300 PPV broadcast. The fan, identified as Obed Ardon, later told Bloody Elbow he had flipped the fighter.

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White had defended ‘Ahalkalakets’ and his reaction, ready to face litigation troubles for it. However, Lopes’ deduction comes out of the blue. Now, a hearing is happening to determine the process. A prime reaction on X read – “Swear Diego literally asked Dana if he could jump first and he said yeh;” the matter has been surprising. Moreover, this isn’t the only such reaction.

Fight fans react to Arman Tsarukyan and Diego Lopes’ fight purse-block

Ending this week on a tinge of bad taste, MMA fans and enthusiasts saw Arman Tsarukyan and Diego Lopes not receive their full amount post-fight payday. Now, there’s new reports on that front. At Tuesday’s monthly meeting of the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC), lightweight Arman Tsarukyan and featherweight contender Diego Lopes will have “withholding of purse” hearings.

Fans react to the inexplicable purse-withholding hearing
Fans react to the inexplicable purse-withholding hearing (Source: Instagram, (@usatodaysports) / X)

The NSAC withheld a percentage of each fighter’s purse, not the full amount. The reason was that the ESPN broadcast and other cameras had caught Tsarukyan punching an unruly fan. Lopes’ hearing centers around him jumping the fence. Consequently, the commission has not revealed why a hearing is happening or why the fighters (especially Lopes) have to explain themselves. Here’s how some fans have reacted:

Some fans have quipped that the 155-pound contender hails from construction businessman Nairi Tsarukyan. In the worst case, if Tsarukyan is fined more than the NAC percentage, he must present the funds before applying for re-licensure. But most think withholding the money from Diego Lopes was unfair. A few fans have retorted that the NSAC must be substantially behind on bills.

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