He stomped on his chest: Tsarukyan humiliates Dillon Danis 24 hours after lunging at him mid-press conference
A T-shirt insulting Khamzat Chimaev sparked chaos in Las Vegas. The next day, Tsarukyan beat him 10-0 without letting him breathe… and finished the night with a stomp that went around the world.
By Equipo La Jaula Props · · 1 min read
Photos: Godzilla1933, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ghazi Twaissi, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
Few rivalries have escalated this fast. In just 24 hours, Arman Tsarukyan went from lunging at Dillon Danis at a press conference to beating him decisively and stomping on his chest after the match.
Thursday: the shirt that started it all
On October 22 in Las Vegas, during the RAF 14 press conference, Danis stood up to show a T-shirt with an insult aimed at Khamzat Chimaev, Tsarukyan's teammate. Tsarukyan got up from his seat and went after him, trying to strike him in the head. Security stepped in immediately and the press conference was ended. According to Ariel Helwani, a security guard was left bleeding.
Friday: 10-0 and a stomp
The next day, at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, they met in a freestyle wrestling match. Tsarukyan dominated with takedowns and step-outs to win by technical fall, 10-0, without needing a second period. As he got up, he stomped on Danis' chest, and security had to separate the teams.
Afterwards, the two shook hands. Tsarukyan said the rivalry was over, unless Danis wanted to face him in MMA.
What is RAF?
Real American Freestyle is a wrestling league where both wrestlers and MMA stars compete. The win gave Tsarukyan the league's first middleweight crossover belt. Danis, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and friend of Conor McGregor, is now 0-3 in RAF: losses to Colby Covington in March, Chimaev in June and now Tsarukyan.
The punishment… that never came
RAF boss Eric Bischoff expressed disappointment over the stomp, but announced no sanction. That same night, Chimaev also won his match, 11-0 against former champion Robbie Lawler.
Why it matters for the UFC
Tsarukyan, 30, is one of the top contenders for the UFC lightweight title. Champion Justin Gaethje has said he believes Tsarukyan should be his next opponent, although Volkanovski just asked for that fight to retire. Lightweight is getting very interesting.
Frequently asked questions
What happened between Tsarukyan and Dillon Danis?
At the RAF 14 press conference on October 22, 2026, Danis showed a T-shirt insulting Khamzat Chimaev and Tsarukyan went after him. The next day, Tsarukyan beat him 10-0 in a wrestling match and stomped on his chest afterwards.
Who won Tsarukyan vs. Dillon Danis?
Arman Tsarukyan, by technical fall (10-0) in the first period at RAF 14, on October 23, 2026 in Las Vegas.
Why did Tsarukyan stomp on Danis' chest?
It happened right after the match, following the press conference brawl. They later shook hands and Tsarukyan said the rivalry was over.
Was Tsarukyan punished?
No. RAF boss Eric Bischoff expressed disappointment but announced no sanction.
What is RAF?
Real American Freestyle, a wrestling league where MMA stars also compete.
Will Tsarukyan fight for the UFC title?
He's one of the top contenders for the lightweight title. Champion Justin Gaethje has said he believes Tsarukyan should be next, but nothing has been announced.
