Dana White has changed his tune on Arman Tsarukyan, publicly praising the lightweight contender’s recent efforts to stay active and visible outside the cage.
White, who previously said he was not thrilled with Tsarukyan — a comment that confused the fighter — now says he’s impressed with how Tsarukyan has been keeping his name in the mix. Speaking on a live stream with Adin Ross this past November, the UFC CEO said, "I like what Arman's been doing," highlighting Tsarukyan’s grappling matches and promotional work.
"He's kept himself active, getting himself out there. Hanging out with Nina doesn't hurt, either. She f*cking kills it. I don't know. We'll see. After each event plays out – this event has to play out on Saturday – then everything sort of changes and you start looking at what the possibilities are for fights coming up the rest of the year. We'll see what happens with Arman. Arman needs to not be a maniac when he shows up to the event. I like Arman," White said, referencing Tsarukyan’s skits with Nina Drama and appearances on popular streamers' channels.
Tsarukyan withdrew from a title opportunity a day before UFC 311 and has fought only once since, scoring a first-round submission of Dan Hooker at UFC Fight Night 265 in November. Still, White sounded entertained by the lightweight’s personality, recalling, "I'm in Vegas one night and I pull out of the Wynn and I'm at the red light getting ready to pull out and someone is f*cking screaming at me and there's a Rolls Royce next to me and it's f*cking Arman in a Rolls Royce," before adding, "He's a fascinating dude and obviously a bad motherf*cker."
