UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan successfully made it to his Philadelphia, PA, destination for his RAF 08 match with Urijah Faber Saturday night at Liacouras Center, but it wasn’t without a viral controversy.
Tsarukyan was removed from an American Airlines flight, among a series of strange videos with little context released Thursday evening and Friday morning.
Arman Tsarukyan’s Case For Plane Removal Revealed
Tsarukyan was seen being escorted off a flight in Los Angeles as the plane was set to depart for Philadelphia, prompting the airline to issue a statement after the initial series of videos gained overnight traffic.
“On April 16, American Airlines flight 513 returned to the gate at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for customers who refused to follow federal regulations,” American Airlines told MMAFighting.com.
The statement did not address Tsarukyan or any of his friends by name, but did shine light on what violation they were in the midst of.
“Safety is our top priority and we expect our customers to comply with crew member instructions while on board our aircraft, which include staying seated while the aircraft is taxiing,” the statement concluded.
Tsarukyan was later seen boarding a private plane on Instagram, joking to the camera that he did not want to be removed from the flight.
Arman Tsarukyan Used High Status Method To Make RAF 08
“I hope they’re not going to kick me out from this plane,” Tsarukyan said. ““OK guys, I’ll be five hours in Philadelphia.”
Tsarukyan was then seen doing promotional material for the RAF event, as he was featured in a pre-match photoshoot that was later turned into an Instagram Reel.
Whether Tsarukyan intended to cause a scene is unclear, but what is apparent is that the airline’s recollection and his didn’t appear to add up.
Luckily, given Tsarukyan’s status as a high-profile UFC athlete, flying privately was not an issue for him and should probably become his go-to default travel method moving forward.
Not only would it avoid confusion, it would ensure he’d get to his destinations on time, while doing so successfully and safely without the need for intervention.
Tsarukyan himself did not put out his own statement, as the issue has been long resolved. But what it does show is another saga in his chaotic lifestyles as the UFC still has yet to book his first fight of the new year.
Tsarukyan has competed in RAF over the last few months, as he’ll attempt to earn his fourth win against Faber, one of MMA’s lighter-weight pioneers.
Now, the focus turns to the mat.
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