Arman Tsarukyan reportedly faces major setback in his quest for UFC lightweight title, with potential nine-month suspension and hefty fine

It appears as though Arman Tsarukyan's UFC lightweight title aspirations have faced a major setback as he was reportedly handed a lengthy suspension as well as a hefty fine. He was believed to be next in line to challenge Islam Makhachev, but that doesn't appear to be a possibility anymore.

The 27-year-old was involved in an incident at UFC 300 as he was making his walkout to the cage for his bout against Charles Oliveira. During his walkout, he spotted a fan giving him the middle finger and immediately went over and struck him before resuming his walkout.

Championship Rounds tweeted a report from MMA Junkie's Nolan King stating that Tsarukyan was handed a nine-month suspension as well as a $25,000 fine. He will reportedly have an opportunity to shorten his suspension if he produces an anti-bullying PSA, which would then allow him to compete again this year. They wrote:

"Arman Tsarukyan has been suspended 9 months and fined $25,000 for throwing a punch at a fan during his walkout at #UFC300. His suspension can be reduced to six months if he produces a video for an anti-bullying campaign."

Check out Championship Rounds' tweet below:

Championship Rounds' tweet regarding Tsarukyan's suspension [Image courtesy: @ChampRDS- X]

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When will Arman Tsarukyan be eligible to return?

Despite the lengthy suspension, perhaps Arman Tsarukyan can still challenge Islam Makhachev for his UFC lightweight championship next.

According to MMA Junkie's Nolan King, the suspension is retroactive to UFC 300, so the 27-year-old could return to action this year should he produce a video for the anti-bullying campaign. King tweeted that Tsarukyan would be eligible to return on Oct. 12, which is two weeks before the promotion's pay-per-view in Abu Dhabi.

If Tsarukyan produces the video, a title shot against Makhachev in the main event of UFC 308 on Oct. 26 could be a possibility. King tweeted:

"For what it's worth...Six months brings him [Tsarukyan] up to Oct. 12. Nine months brings him up to Jan. 12"

Check out Nolan King's tweet below:

King's tweet regarding Tsarukyan's suspension [Image courtesy: @mma_kings - X]