“Real One!”: Old Photo of Arman Tsarukyan with Vladimir Putin Circulates on Social Media, Fans React

Khabib Nurmagomedov opened the floodgates and since then there has been a massive influx of Russian talent in the UFC. And now as Arman Tsarukyan stands on the precipice of a title shot, a throwback photo of him with Russian President Vladimir Putin has left fans shocked.

‘Tsarukyan joined the UFC in April 2019. Before that, Tsarukyan spent most of his time, fighting in the local circuits in Russia. For the most part, ‘Ahalkalakets’ fought for a promotion named MFP.

In this promotion, Tsarukyan won the lightweight belt and defended it a few times as well. It was during this time that he had a chance encounter with the Russian President.

A throwback photo posted by ‘Dovy’ on Twitter shows Tsarukyan holding the belt and standing next to Putin. Unfortunately, the exact time and date of this picture is not known.

Needless to say, the picture invoked some interesting reactions from fans.

One fan said, “I’ve seen enough evidence, reverse the Charles decision.”

Another fan commented on Putin saying, “Putin looks so happy n contented here.”

“Doesn’t matter, still gets smeshed by Islam @MAKHACHEVMMA Putin won’t give him any aura”– commented a fan disregarding Tsarukyan in a potential fight with the champion.

Another fan made a comment referencing Khabib Nurmagomedov’s recent issues, “Get ahead of those Russian tax problems.”

“Putin is a real one!”– commented another fan.

Another fan commented using clever wordplay saying, “I remember when @CharlesDoBronxs was Putin Arman to sleep.”

The Russian President has been extremely supportive of the mixed martial artists in his country. Perhaps no one has been a bigger beneficiary of his support than Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Dana White reveals Vladimir Putin’s gift to Khabib Nurmagomedov

‘The Eagle’ established himself as a global superstar following his win over Conor McGregor at UFC 229. The grudge match garnered a lot of media attention and had a lot at stake for both men.

After securing the win, ‘The Eagle’ received a hero’s welcome back home. He along with his father also got the opportunity to meet with President Vladimir Putin.

While it was not revealed back then, Dana White in recent interviews revealed the extent of gifts ‘The Eagle’ received. Dana White revealed that ‘The Eagle’ and his father were gifted a whopping $20 million worth of property in Russia after he tapped Conor McGregor out.