Pretense? Arman Tsarukyan accuses Ilia Topuria of lying about his wealth on social media

Ilia Topuria is the UFC lightweight champion. Photo: Instagram/UFC

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The rivalry between Arman Tsarukyan and Ilia Topuria has taken a new, and at the very least curious, turn. While seeking an opportunity to return to the octagon, the Armenian decided to question the Georgian/Spanish fighter's ostentatious lifestyle on social media. The number one ranked lightweight (up to 70,3 kg) champion used social media to question the veracity of the financial lifestyle displayed by El Matador online.

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Tsarukyan, the son of a wealthy construction businessman in Armenia, specifically addressed photos posted by Topuria on jet planes. He said the current lightweight champion's (up to 70,3 kg) pay wouldn't be high enough to cover these trips.

"He tries to pretend he's incredibly rich, but really, I think he flies regular planes. He doesn't make enough money to fly private jets from the United States to Europe or Georgia. Because even if he made $2 to $3 million, just a round-trip jet trip would cost $400 to $500."

Arman Tsarukyan says Ilia Topuria is trying to make himself seem rich by flexing flying on private jets

"He tries to make it look like he's insanely rich, but in reality I think he's flying on regular planes. He doesn't make that kind of money to be flying private jets from… pic.twitter.com/nOnWBTJmmf

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 18, 2025

Topuria is one of the biggest stars in the UFC today.

Ilia Topuria poses with two UFC belts after her victory against Charles Oliveira . Photo: Reproduction/Instagram.

Undefeated in 17 professional fights and ranked first in the Ultimate's pound-for-pound rankings, Ilia Topuria is also one of the most popular figures in the sport, with over 11,4 million followers on Instagram alone. However, since pay-per-view sales figures are no longer released to the press, it is not possible to accurately determine his commercial reach.

US Athletic Commissions have also not disclosed fighters' salaries since 2020. Therefore, these values ​​are usually estimated by companies specializing in the field. After his knockout victory against Charles do Bronx at UFC 317 , the website 'Give Me Sport' estimated the Georgian/Spanish fighter's pay at around US$3,54 million (R$18,7 million at the current exchange rate).

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