Arman Tsarukyan is putting real numbers behind his fight-week money talk.
In an interview with PBD Podcast, the UFC lightweight contender explained how his monthly lifestyle costs can reach $500,000, said fighting income and sponsor money help cover it, pointed to businesses in Russia, and claimed Ryan Garcia never paid him after a $40,000 stream bet.
Tsarukyan is an Armenian professional mixed martial artist, submission grappler, and freestyle wrestler who competes in the UFC lightweight division. He is listed at 5-foot-7 and 155 pounds, with a 23-3 professional MMA record. He was born in Akhalkalaki, Georgia, and his family later moved to Russia, where he grew up.
Watch the PBD Podcast interview clips below:
Tsarukyan Breaks Down His $500K-A-Month Lifestyle Claim
The money conversation started when Tsarukyan was asked how much he spends per month.
“In one place, I said 500,000, but it was wrong. My dad called me after that. Where you spent 500,000, now I gotta say 100,000.”
He then explained how the larger figure can apply when everything around his lifestyle is included.
“I mean, so I have a big team, right? I have a big team, I have coaches, I have a lifestyle family. If we’re buying a fortress, we’re buying houses, we’re buying cars, if you’re gonna count everything here, it’s gonna be 500,000.”
When the host framed that as roughly $6 million per year, Tsarukyan answered, “About.”
Asked whether fighting income and sponsorship money pay for that lifestyle, Tsarukyan replied, “About, yeah.”
He also said he has business income in Russia.
“Yeah, and I have businesses in Russia that I make money. So, and I always have on my back Russian money, so if I need it.”
Tsarukyan connected that to his upbringing.
“I grew up there, I live there, so I know how to make money over there.”
His background supports that point. Tsarukyan’s family moved to Russia when he was a child, and his father has been described as a businessman involved in construction. In the interview, Tsarukyan said he identifies as Armenian while still viewing Russia as central to his life.
“No, no, I’m Armenian. Yeah, I’m Armenian, but I live Russia.”
Tsarukyan Says Ryan Garcia Never Paid The $40K Bet
The second clip focused on Tsarukyan’s version of the Ryan Garcia stream bet.
Tsarukyan said Garcia wanted to punch his friend in the stomach for $40,000. Tsarukyan first offered to take the shots himself if Garcia doubled the money.
“I said, bro, like $40,000 for me, it’s nothing, double it. I’ll take three punches.”
Tsarukyan said Garcia responded, “No, I don’t, I’m not rich like you.”
After that, Tsarukyan said his friend became the target of the bet. Tsarukyan did not have cash on him, but offered to prove he had the money.
“I said, bro, I don’t have cash with me. I’ll show him my bank account that I have 30, 40K there. I said, I’ll leave my phone here when we’re done. If you could hit him, hurt him and he’s going to drop, I’ll wire you right away.”
Tsarukyan said a handshake bet is serious to him.
“In my culture, if you shake the hand and like we bet, you got to give back money.”
According to Tsarukyan, Garcia did not drop his friend. Afterward, Tsarukyan said the cash appeared, then left the room.
“I took the money and his accountant or whatever came and said, bro, here’s more than 40,000. Let me go upstairs, like count money and then come back. I said, OK. He came back without money. I said, where’s the money? No, no, bro. We wire you. We need this money for tonight. We do something.”
Tsarukyan said he wanted payment immediately.
“I said, right now, I need now my money.”
He said Garcia’s side promised to send the money later, but the payment never came.
“He said, bro, I swear to God, like a man word, I’m going to give you, I’m going to wire tomorrow. One week, nothing.”
When asked if he ever got paid, Tsarukyan answered, “No, he didn’t send me money.”
Tsarukyan also said Garcia did not follow up for wire information.
“He didn’t even like call me, what’s your wire or why I’m not sending it.”
Tsarukyan said he later FaceTimed Garcia and was told Garcia did not know the man taking the punches was a professional boxer.
“I FaceTime him and say, bro, like what’s going on? Bro, you didn’t tell me your guy is professional boxer.”
Tsarukyan rejected that explanation.
“I said, why I should tell you like he’s a professional boxer? He’s my, I said, this is my friend. If you want to punch him, punch him. I’m not stupid like to say you like, oh, listen, he’s professional fighter, he’s going to take your shots.”
When the host suggested Garcia may have felt hustled, Tsarukyan leaned into it.
“Yeah. So I’m a smart guy. Like I want to bet and make money, right?”
Tsarukyan said Garcia later treated it as stream content.
“He said, bro, it was a stream. So we always do on the stream like this.”
Tsarukyan said he sees it differently.
“We have a different culture.”
The dispute later turned into more fight talk. Tsarukyan said Garcia offered an eight-round boxing challenge for $100,000.
“He tweet, let’s do eight rounds, I’ll pay you a hundred K.”
Tsarukyan said he countered with a larger offer.
“I’ll give you cash, one million, if you survive one round in a minute.”
He also acknowledged the public back-and-forth was partly promotion.
“But it’s just trash talking. He is good on his thing. I’m good on my thing.”
Tsarukyan said the Garcia situation changed how he would handle money around him in the future.
“Now I know if I’m going to do a stream with him, I’m not going to bet money.”
Tsarukyan also mentioned a separate bet with Adin Ross on Khamzat Chimaev against Sean Strickland.
“But I have a bet with Adin Ross. Khamzat versus Strickland. I put 50K on Khamzat. He put 50K on Strickland.”
Tsarukyan said he wanted the wager to be larger.
“No, I wanted to put like one million. He said like 100. He said 50-50. I said, OK, 50.”
After the Garcia issue, Tsarukyan said he wants the money physically present.
“I told Adin Ross, brother, fly out with money over there. Cash. And I’m going to bring cash as well.”
Tsarukyan says the $500,000 monthly figure includes his team, coaches, family, houses, and cars. He says fighting income, sponsorship money, and Russian businesses help pay for it. And after the Garcia dispute, he wants serious stream bets handled with cash on the table.
