Arman Tsarukyan & Diego Lopes Face UFC 300 Repercussions; Fighter Fined for Infamous Bite

Here is how the NSAC is dealing with three UFC fighters who broke the rules.

Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Arman Tsarukyan during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

UFC 300 was a night to remember, one which the NSAC won't be forgetting anytime soon.

Thirteen fighters raised their hands in victory at the monumental event on Apr. 13, but only eleven would walk out with their total fight purse intact. #1-ranked UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan and new featherweight contender Diego Lopes had a portion of their pay withheld by the Nevada State Athletic Commission following their disciplinary meeting on Tuesday.

For Tsarukyan, the slap on the wrist comes after the top contender threw a punch at a fan while walking out to his fight with Charles Oliveira. The nearby fan flipped off Tsarukyan, only to have that energy redirected back at him in a heated altercation.

The NSAC has now decided to withhold $31,600, 20% of Tsarukyan's estimated $158,000 fight purse.

Arman Tsarukyan punched a fan during his walkout to fight Charles Oliveira 😅 pic.twitter.com/DMoX27o8H1

— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) April 14, 2024

The fan in question, Obed Ardon, has declined to press charges for the viral incident. Ardon would apologize to Tsarukyan for his actions, retelling the event from his point of view.

"I’d like to apologize to Arman for provoking him by flipping him off. I was buzzing all day and the moment got to me... I’m glad the incident wasn’t as bad as it could have been," Ardon told Bloody Elbow right after UFC 300. "I do want to make clear that I didn’t pull him towards me, yell out offensive words or anything of that nature. I flipped him off nothing else."

Diego Lopes didn't do anything as reckless as Tsarukyan en route to the Octagon, but he did break the rules post-fight. After notching the biggest win of his career, a first-round KO of Sodiq Yusuff, Lopes scaled the cage to talk to CEO Dana White outside of it.

The punishment isn't as bad for Lopes, but $5,000 has been withheld from his $100,000 payout. UFC's White apparently gave Lopes permission to jump over the cage and will cover the cost.

Nevada has voted to withhold $5,000 (of his $100,000), from Diego Lopes for hopping the fence after his #UFC300 win.

According to executive director Jeff Mullen, he saw UFC CEO Dana White signal approval for Lopes to make the hop and White then told Mullen he'd cover the fine. https://t.co/bEPd1Hm2Ie

— Nolan King (@mma_kings) April 30, 2024

"#FreeDiego," Lopes joked on 'X' regarding his withheld purse.

#freediego 😂🤣

— Diego Lopes 🇧🇷🇲🇽 (@Diegolopesmma) April 30, 2024

Last but not least is Igor Severino, the fighter who infamously bit Andre Lima at UFC Vegas 89 in March. Following the unprecedented moment, Severino was cut by the promotion and had his pay withheld by the NSAC. If that wasn't enough, the commission has proposed Severino be fined $3,314.08 for biting Lima as well as a six-month suspension, which will be weighed along with Arman Tsarukyan's and Diego Lopes' cases in a follow-up disciplinary hearing in May. (h/t: Nolan King)

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