That didn’t last long …
According to Ariel Helwani, Poullas withdrew from the matchup because he believes the rematch should take place under the Real American Freestyle (RAF) banner — the promotion where their bad blood first boiled over.
Tsarukyan scored a win at RAF 06 this past weekend (Sat., Feb. 28, 2026) defeating Poullas, via points (6-4) inside Mullett Arena at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona (watch highlights) — however, immediately after the final whistle blew, Tsarukyan punched Poullas. And seconds later, chaos erupted — corners flooded the mat, officials scrambled, and a full-on brawl broke out (watch it here).
Now, any immediate runback is on hold.
RAF has already announced two upcoming events — one in Tampa, Florida (RAF 07), and another in Philadelphia (RAF 08), the latter headlined by Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo — so the promotion certainly has platforms available if it wants to book the grudge match properly.
For his part, Poullas is aiming even higher.
He told Helwani that he’s attempting to secure a phone call with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White in hopes of turning the rivalry into a fight inside the Octagon.
“We’re currently pending on trying to get a phone call [with Dana] to see if we can make that happen,” Poullas said. “I know Dana’s look on the Paul brothers and how he didn’t want it in the UFC. But at the same time, I think Dana also doesn’t want to lose business to another organization. I think he’s a businessman. So, I could only hope that it’s something he’ll entertain.”
Yeah, that isn’t happening.
