Eddie Hearn says Arman Tsarukyan photo came from 'staying in the same hotel randomly'

The Matchroom boss answered a fan who asked if he was signing the UFC lightweight, after posting their breakfast photo with a handshake emoji on 30 October.

Eddie Hearn says he and Arman Tsarukyan were staying in the same hotel by chance when they met for breakfast, after a photo of the pair sparked talk that the UFC lightweight was joining his Matchroom Talent Agency.

Asked by a fan whether he was signing Tsarukyan, Hearn wrote on his Instagram Stories: "Everyone went crazy for this." He added: "We were just staying in the same hotel randomly and arranged to have some breakfast together."

Hearn had posted the photo of himself with Tsarukyan and members of Tsarukyan's team on 30 October, captioned only with Tsarukyan's Instagram tag and a handshake emoji (Arman Tsarukyan meets Eddie Hearn in Marbella).

Tom Aspinall and Ian Machado Garry joined Hearn's Matchroom Talent Agency earlier this year. Aspinall hired Hearn as his manager to handle dealings with the UFC and with brands, while Garry's agreement covers deals outside his fighting career. Both signed despite Hearn's feud with UFC president Dana White, which has run since White launched Zuffa Boxing at the start of 2026.

Tsarukyan has competed in wrestling and grappling matches in between his wins over Dan Hooker and Mauricio Ruffy. He holds the RAF crossover middleweight title and is due to defend it against Anthony Pettis in the RAF 15 main event in Chicago on 28 November (Pettis to challenge Tsarukyan).

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