Sydney Sweeney’s Former MMA Coach Reveals The Side Of Her Fans Don’t See

Sydney Sweeney’s media tour for "Christy," her new biopic about legendary boxer Christy Martin, has been overshadowed by loud online backlash that erupted over a recent American Eagle ad. Critics accused the actress, who posed in denim alongside the slogan “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans," of promoting racist undertones, sparking days of heated social media debate. But while the internet piled on, one man who knew Sweeney long before the red carpets and global movie premieres is speaking out, and he’s not holding back. Arthur Chivichyan, a respected martial artist and the actress’s former training partner, says the outrage is completely misplaced… and that the Sydney Sweeney he trained for years is nothing like the caricature being pushed online.

Long before "Euphoria," "White Lotus," or rom-com fame, Sydney Sweeney was a 13-year-old actor-in-training whose mother drove her to Hayastan MMA Academy in Los Angeles to build her skills and her confidence. What happened next stunned even hardened fighters. “Sydney was a tough, competitive person,” Chivichyan told Daily Mail. “And yes, it’s true. She would beat up guys.”

He explained that the gym was “99% men,” the kind of place where people “get knocked out,” not a gentle jiu-jitsu studio. Most young girls would walk in, see a room full of grown men sparring, and turn around. Not Sydney. “She wasn’t a crybaby,” he said. “She trained hard, sweat dripping down her face, hair messy, and she didn’t care. We treated her like any other student and when new guys joined, she would beat a lot of them up.”

Sydney Sweeney competed in grappling and kickboxing tournaments, often facing men due to the lack of female competitors. Her scrappy resilience continued for six years, shaping the toughness fans are now seeing in "Christy." It’s a backstory that mirrors the real Christy Martin, and one Chivichyan says makes Sydney the perfect actress to play her.

As Sydney Sweeney navigated press for "Christy," the American Eagle ad sparked a wave of accusations online, backlash that Chivichyan believes is completely baseless. “It’s just so stupid,” he said. “People are doing this for engagement and clicks. They’re trying to talk a person down.”

Chivichyan, who identifies as Armenian American, said he has zero doubt about who Sweeney is. “Sydney is 100 percent not a racist,” he emphasized. “Her movie screening crowd was incredibly diverse. People of all colors and sexualities. Everyone there was personally invited by her. If she were racist, everyone would have looked the same, and that was not the case.”

He says the star hasn’t let fame change her character, either. When he and a few members of the Hayastan Academy met Sydney at Shake Shack before her private screening, she greeted them with hugs and spent a full hour catching up. “She didn’t have to do that,” he said. “But she cared. She said if we host a screening for students, she’ll come and surprise them. That’s the real Sydney.”

In "Christy," Sydney Sweeney steps into a role unlike anything in her previous filmography. She portrays boxing trailblazer Christy Martin, who became a superstar in the ring while privately fighting devastating battles including an abusive marriage, addiction, and her own sexuality. Martin’s husband, Jim, who shot and stabbed her in a 2010 murder attempt, is played by Ben Foster. Merritt Wever plays Christy’s wife, Joyce.

To embody the fighter, Sweeney gained 35 pounds of muscle through 19-hour training days. She has repeatedly credited her MMA foundation, built under Arthur’s father, legendary trainer Gokor Chivichyan, for getting her through the physicality of the role.

Christy Martin herself has fiercely defended Sydney Sweeney from the backlash, writing, “Syd not only worked her a-s off for this film, she worked her a-s off for me. For my story. She is my friend and ally.”

Sydney Sweeney's transformation into Christy Martin has earned praise from competitive fighters, real-life athletes, and the boxing world, even if the box office has been slow to catch up.  But Arthur Chivichyan isn’t surprised at all by her commitment. “She had that determination at 13,” he said. “Sydney is genuine, sweet, caring, intelligent, and tougher than people realize.” He believes the public criticism will fade, but her work and the truth about her character will stand.

As the noise dies down, those who knew Sydney Sweeney long before fame say the world is finally seeing the fighter she’s always been.