HBB: UFC’s Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy

The inclusion of internet streamers in professional fighting corners sparks debate in the mixed martial arts community.

by Sufyaan Khan

Before the second-ranked UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan fought Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 this past weekend, he made an unusual addition to his corner: N3on. N3on is a 21-year-old streamer who has gained popularity for his brand of lifestyle streaming on the platform Kick. As lifestyle streaming has exploded in popularity over the past few years, even UFC fighters have gotten in on the action. Appearing in streams can help boost their personal image and persona to help their marketing for MMA fights. Arman Tsarukyan, currently ranked as the second-best lightweight fighter in the world, has used streaming as an avenue to help grow his personal brand to gain more hype for his fights. Arman has frequently collaborated with streamer N3on and together they do lifestyle streams from just hanging out together to collaborating with other fighters and getting a more intimate behind the scenes view of what it means to be a fighter.

In his fight this past weekend, Tsarukyan did the unprecedented: he let an internet influencer into his fight corner. N3on has absolutely zero fighting experience or credentials. There are only 4 spots reserved for a fighter’s corner and they usually make up the fighter’s training team of professional coaches. Tsarukyan’s decision to include N3on in his corner was initially met with backlash, as fans and critics believed he was simply doing this as a publicity stunt. However, the moment became memorable when Tsarukyan knocked out Ruffy with a nasty elbow near the end of the first round. Clips connected the finish to N3on calling for an elbow, creating an incredible story about the streamer’s role. The kid with no experience calling the winning shot. At the end of the day, the UFC is in the business of entertainment, and we may see more stories like that of N3on with influencers or celebrities standing in a fighter’s corner.

You can find a clip of the fight on YouTube.