UFC star Arman Tsarukyan brawled with Dillon Danis on Thursday, ahead of Friday’s wrestling match between the pair.
Tsarukyan, the UFC’s No 2 lightweight contender, will wrestle Danis at a Real American Freestyle (RAF) event in Las Vegas, one day after a press conference to promote the card.
And at that press conference, Danis sported a T-shirt showing a mock-up photo of Tsarukyan’s friend Khamzat Chimaev without a beard, along with the words: “Khamzat is my b***h.”
When Danis – a former jiu-jitsu training partner of Conor McGregor – explained as much, Tsarukyan lurched along the desk and appeared to throw a right hand at Danis.
Security stepped in to hold back both men as a mass brawl broke out, with Chimaev, a former UFC middleweight champion, later getting involved.
Arman Tsarukyan x Dillon Danis brawl feat. Khamzat Chimaev.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 22, 2026
One security guard was bleeding. Total chaos.
Ugly scene. pic.twitter.com/EAOw2EWae3
Chimaev pinned Danis in an RAF wrestling match in June, leading to another brawl. After Thursday’s press conference, Chimaev told Red Corner MMA: “I’m gonna be close there [on Friday night]. If something happens, we’re ready.”
Former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler, who will wrestle Chimaev on Friday, reacted to Thursday’s chaos by telling MMA Fighting: “It is what it is. It’s just... I’m here to wrestle and compete. I’m just keeping my life simple, and I’m not trying to get involved in any of that nonsense.
“It’s just... You want to put your best foot forward, and a lot of kids are watching this, guys who are excited about wrestling. It’s not always about the show, and it’s not about the eyes; it’s about freaking having this sport be built and taking it to another level. And I just think we need to do a better job as competitors.”
Tsarukyan vs Danis will headline RAF 14 at the Fontainebleau hotel in Vegas, with Chimaev vs Lawler serving as the co-main event.