Updated
Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jun 7
Tsarukyan Bets $1 Million on Gaethje to Upset Topuria at UFC White House
Updated
Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jun 7

Tsarukyan Bets $1 Million on Gaethje to Upset Topuria at UFC White House

1 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jun 7

Summary

  • $1 million is riding on Justin Gaethje after Arman Tsarukyan placed the wager Sunday during a live Kick stream, backing the interim champion to beat lightweight titleholder Ilia Topuria on June 14.
  • A Gaethje win would return about $5.7 million, a huge payout that reflects Topuria's status as a substantial betting favorite entering the UFC White House main event in Washington.
  • Tsarukyan said he wants a future fight with Topuria but still trusts Gaethje's history of defying expectations, arguing that people repeatedly pick against him and get proved wrong.
  • The bet ballooned from an initial $50,000 idea after on-stream prodding, and Tsarukyan later admitted the risk, joking about his father's reaction and saying it was easy to click but not easy to make $1 million.

Insights

Is a top UFC fighter's $1M wager a marketing hoax or a real bet that could ignite a major scandal?
Does a fighter's huge bet expose a fatal flaw in the UFC's lucrative partnership with the gambling industry?
What are the unprecedented challenges of building a 600-ton fighting arena on the White House lawn?