UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan still made it to RAF 08 in Philadelphia after being removed from an American Airlines flight and switching to a private jet.
Tsarukyan was escorted off a plane headed for Philadelphia ahead of his scheduled freestyle wrestling match against former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber at RAF 08 on Saturday (Apr. 18, 2026).
Adam Zubayraev, who documented the incident, explained the reason for the removal: "Simply because someone on the team was on their phone while the plane was taking off," and added, "And the second person opened up a table. Because of this, Arman and two of his friends were kicked off the flight headed to the RAF tournament."
After leaving the commercial flight, Tsarukyan arranged a private jet for the trip. Video showed Tsarukyan resting on the private jet during his travel, at one point saying, "I hope they’re not gonna kick me out from this plane," followed by, "Ahalkalakets".
The episode comes as Tsarukyan remains active outside the UFC. The article notes that Dana White has said he likes Arman Tsarukyan but not the way Tsarukyan tends to cause chaos. It also recalls a separate 2025 incident in which Khabib Nurmagomedov was taken off a plane after flight attendants demanded he move from the exit row due to his English skills.
