Arman Tsarukyan has struggled to come to terms with his title shot snub over the past 12 months.
The 29-year-old ran a gauntlet since his last loss to Mateusz Gamrot in 2022, beating Beneil Dariush and Charles Oliveira to punctuate a five-fight win streak and stake his claim for a UFC championship fight. Tsarukyan was set to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title at UFC 311 in January 2025, but withdrew late citing back pain — later tied to a hernia.
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That, combined with a pre-fight head-butt on his most recent opponent, Dan Hooker, led other fighters in his division to leapfrog him in the race for a championship shot.
Speaking Monday on Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Tsarukyan conceded he could have done various things differently.
“The pullout was the real deal,” he said of his reasoning not to fight Makhachev while injured.
“[The] head-butt was so bad, I shouldn’t do that. Hooker is a man. I couldn’t control myself in that moment. [I did it] because I hate Dan Hooker.”
Regardless of the pre-fight dramatics, his second-round arm-triangle choke submission win over Hooker in November should have teed Tsarukyan up for his long-awaited title fight, he said. Instead, his wait has been made longer.
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While UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria remains sidelined because of personal issues, Paddy Pimblett is slated to fight Justin Gaethje for the UFC interim lightweight title on Jan. 24 at UFC 324.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Tsarukyan said of being overlooked for the fight. “My manager told me, and I thought maybe they’ll change their mind. No way it’s going to happen.”
But it happened. And if Pimblett continues to ride the momentum from his UFC wins over King Green and Michael Chandler by adding Gaethje to his column, it could spell more bad news, Tsarukyan said.
“I hope Paddy is going to lose, because if he wins, it’s going to be a problem for me again,” Tsarukyan said. “He’ll try and avoid me. … How are they going to put me against Paddy?”
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Tsarukyan believes unless Gaethje beats Pimblett, the UFC will “protect” the popular Englishman by matching Pimblett up with Max Holloway, or another alternative within the top-15 lightweight rankings.
Though Tsarukyan couldn’t initially believe he’d been overlooked again, he considered why the UFC matched Gaethje with Pimblett instead of putting him in either of those spots.
“It’s the first Paramount+ fight, and I’m too dangerous,” he said. “I pull out of my title fight and then I head-butt Hooker. I think that’s their opinion. My opinion is they want Paddy Pimblett to be champion. They’re saying that — head-butt, pullout [are the reasons]. … [All I can do] is just say yes [to opportunities] and wait for my chance.”
That chance may come this summer, Tsarukyan believes, though it depends on Topuria’s status.
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The reigning UFC lightweight champion is going through a public divorce from his wife, Giorgina Uzcategui Badell, and it’s unclear when he’ll return.
Should Topuria return by the summer, it raises questions about what happens with Tsarukyan, given the likelihood of a potential unification bout between the Gaethje vs. Pimblett winner and the champ.
In that scenario, Tsarukyan said he’d go another route.
“Maybe a BMF title,” he said. “I want the world title but I don’t want to wait until next year. Ilia fights once a year — if he defends in June, then he only fights next year in June. I’m not that young to wait.”
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Oliveira and Holloway vie for the BMF belt on March 7 in their rematch at UFC 326. Should Oliveira win, it’s a fight that makes sense for Tsarukyan, he said.
“If Charles Oliveira wins, we’ve got the story [of our first fight],” Tsarukyan said. “I could just get that BMF belt and then the real belt. Just stay busy. I’m here for the UFC.”
Until then, Tsarukyan said there’s little else he can do aside from wait — and compete outside the UFC, including in Real American Freestyle wrestling, where he made easy work of former PFL and WSOF champion Lance Palmer on Saturday. He’d even welcome a wrestling match with Michael Chandler for RAF’s next event on Feb. 28. “I would love to crack his neck in freestyle wrestling,” Tsarukyan said.
For now, Tsarukyan remains in the United States and will travel to Las Vegas next week to make his case for the title.
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“I’d like to talk with them and figure out if I’m fighting for the belt,” he said. “I’ll tell them nothing [bad is] going to happen, [and I’m] not going to touch anybody.”
“I’m not looking for money — I’m looking for a belt,” he finished. “I’m here for a long time and I want to take over and be a face of the UFC.”
