Arman Tsarukyan, who comes from a wealthy family, has firmly established himself as a rising talent in the UFC lightweight division, with fans jokingly calling him the “Armenian Batman.” “I gotta help more people like Batman does,” Tsarukyan admitted, while drawing a similarity with Bruce Wayne. Fans already familiar with his fight skills and off-cage persona have closely followed his journey. Recently, he showed his smooth operator side, which, however, has divided fans online.

‘Ahalkalakets’ is currently in the U.S., riding high after he defeated NCAA standout and former PFL champion Lance Palmer at RAF 05 last week. The Armenian-Russian star decided to stay in America for a few weeks, as the UFC 324 interim lightweight title fight is on January 24.

With the event still over a week away, Arman Tsarukyan took time off to enjoy pizza at Times Square and hang out with streamer N3on. Then, his inner “Barney Stinson-like wingman” emerged when they visited a shop and spotted a cute girl named Maddie. Tsarukyan helped N3on and Maddie exchange numbers. Arman asked the girl, “Are you from Russia?”

Tsarukyan then asked her age, which matched N3on’s, and finally made his move. “He’s looking for a good girl. You seem so good, I think. You have a boyfriend or no?” asked Arman Tsarukyan. The girl declined. ‘Ahalkalakets’ learned she was originally from the South but had eventually moved to Mississippi.

Despite that, the streamer successfully swapped numbers with her, which led N3on to enthusiastically call Tsarukyan the “best wingman ever.” Now, the video of Arman Tsarukyan has come out on social media, and fans are flooding Reddit with their reactions.

Fans weigh in on Arman Tsarukyan’s side quest

Since backing out of the UFC 311 lightweight title fight against Islam Makhachev last year, Arman Tsarukyan has faced challenges in the UFC. Since then, he had a match at UFC Qatar and has tried to stay relevant by winning grappling and wrestling matches outside the UFC. Reacting to Tsarukyan’s side quest, one fan commented, “Give him a title shot off of this. I’ve seen enough.”

Despite his efforts, Dana White and Co. still passed him over for a title shot, giving it instead to Paddy Pimblett for UFC 324 against Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title. Another fan doubled down, adding, “He deserves a title shot ngl.” Still, Arman Tsarukyan needs to get back into Dana White’s good books. Last year, he made weight for UFC 317 as a backup and secured a quick submission against Dan Hooker last November, yet he is still waiting for a title opportunity.

Some fans think Arman Tsarukyan’s side quests with streamer N3on are not genuine, but rather a PR move to polish his image. One fan wrote, “Alright, Arman is doing the PR run right. Bout to find me saying it’s bulls–t he didn’t get a title shot yet too if he keeps this up.” This perspective seems partly valid, as Tsarukyan revealed that the promotion chose Pimblett over him because he lacked a strong connection with fans.

With N3on, Tsarukyan may be building his image as a funny, relatable star, just as the promotion prepares to kick off their deal with Paramount+. However, not every fan buys it, and some view Tsarukyan and N3on’s hangouts as a bromance stunt, especially when ‘Ahalkalakets’ helped N3on get a girl’s phone number. “Man, Arman is such a nice guy,” one fan commented.

Fans remain cautious about judging the behind-the-scenes situation. One wrote, “I hate this shit… dude is one of the best fighters/grapplers in the world and can’t get a title shot because he’s ‘not a draw’… this sh-t is just WWE at this point but sometimes they fight.”

The Russian standout has clashed with the UFC over the past year, yet he seems at peace with the controversy and views the promotion bypassing him in favor of Pimblett as purely a business decision. Even Dana White confirmed he does not dislike Tsarukyan.

Meanwhile, fans enjoy his casual content. From Khamzat Chimaev’s “smash” to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s “send location,” every catchphrase resonates with fans, making some believe Tsarukyan is perfect for content creation. “His personality is great for content,” one fan said.

Since stepping out of the sports spotlight, Arman Tsarukyan has combined his grappling matches with lifestyle content, eating mountains of McDonald’s burgers or enjoying 5-star cuisine. “For real, if he keeps going the way he is, and maybe leans into the having money thing, especially food videos, he could be a superstar. Undeniably,” a fan added.

Putting fan reactions aside, what’s your take on the Arman Tsarukyan–N3on bromance? Do you think it’s a smart PR move, or just a legit friendship? Drop your thoughts below.