Tsarukyan to honour $1m Gaethje bet with RAM truck after UFC White House upset

Arman Tsarukyan is making good on his word. After Justin Gaethje defied heavy underdog odds to force Ilia Topuria’s corner to throw in the towel at the end of the fourth round at UFC White House on Sunday, Tsarukyan confirmed he will buy Gaethje a RAM truck — a promise he had made publicly before the fight.

Tsarukyan had backed his prediction with a $1 million wager on Gaethje, which returned $5.7 million following the upset. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, the Armenian lightweight contender said the truck is already being arranged.

“Of course,” Tsarukyan said. “I just checked what color he wants… I’m competing on July 18 in St. Louis, and after St. Louis, I’m going to bring him a truck. RAM. And RAM is the UFC’s official sponsor, maybe they’re gonna give me discount 15 to 20%. If they don’t give me discount, it’s OK. It’s not that expensive.”

Tsarukyan also reached out to Gaethje directly on social media to ask his preferred colour and model. Gaethje’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, responded publicly, confirming he would send through the details.

Beyond the truck, Gaethje’s victory reshapes the UFC lightweight division in ways that directly benefit Tsarukyan. The 23-3 contender has been frozen out of the title picture since withdrawing from a scheduled fight against then-champion Islam Makhachev. Makhachev subsequently moved up to welterweight, and the vacant lightweight title was claimed by Topuria, who defeated Charles Oliveira. Despite Tsarukyan being widely regarded as the most deserving contender, Topuria repeatedly pushed for a defence against Paddy Pimblett — who lost an interim title bout to Gaethje — rather than face Tsarukyan.

Topuria’s defeat now clears the path. With Gaethje holding the lightweight title and Tsarukyan considered the frontrunner for the next shot, the two men who shared a pre-fight bet and a post-fight truck deal could soon be sharing the Octagon.

First, Tsarukyan has a detour on 18 July, when he is scheduled to compete in a wrestling match against Colby Covington at RAF 11 in St. Louis, Missouri. The truck, he says, comes right after.