Overview
- Tsarukyan, who attended the MVP MMA card at the Intuit Dome, tried to jump a barrier after Namo Fazil called him out on Saturday, then confronted him backstage before security escorted him out.
- Most Valuable Promotions personnel intervened to stop the clash, with co‑founder Nakisa Bidarian coordinating security as Jake Paul later said he had urged a backstage scrap.
- The dispute traces to Tsarukyan’s recent livestream remarks about Armenia’s Kurdish community, which Fazil condemned and revived during his post‑fight interview.
- Dana White has named Tsarukyan the official backup for Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 at the White House, and Tsarukyan says the role is confirmed though he has not signed a contract.
- The lightweight contender also has RAF bookings on May 30 and June 13, and past flashpoints — from withdrawing from an Islam Makhachev fight to a headbutt of Dan Hooker — now factor into whether the UFC grants him a full title shot.