UFC fighter Arman Tsarukyan says he was ignored for a chance to fight for the interim lightweight title because the UFC wants to make Paddy Pimblett a champion.
Instead of Tsarukyan, Liverpool fighter Pimblett will face American Justin Gaethje for the interim belt on 24 January. This surprised many fans, as Tsarukyan is the number one contender, while Gaethje is ranked fourth and Pimblett fifth.
Tsarukyan believes Pimblett got the fight because he is more popular. He said the UFC knows Pimblett would lose if he fought him, which would hurt his star appeal. Tsarukyan also claimed Gaethje is an easier opponent for Pimblett, saying Gaethje is getting older and nearing the end of his career.
Tsarukyan added that even if Pimblett won the interim title, he would not be a true champion because current lightweight champion Ilia Topuria is still around. He also said he does not believe Pimblett could beat Topuria.
UFC president Dana White has not clearly explained why Tsarukyan was left out, but he did say that Tsarukyan’s behaviour at a previous weigh-in when he headbutted Dan Hooker played a part. Tsarukyan also withdrew from a title fight against Islam Makhachev in January 2025 during fight week.
Current champion Ilia Topuria is taking time away from fighting for family reasons, which is why the UFC created an interim title fight. Many fans expect Tsarukyan to face the winner of the Pimblett vs Gaethje fight if the interim champion becomes the full champion or if Topuria’s return is delayed.
However, Tsarukyan doubts Pimblett would ever agree to fight him. He said Pimblett knows he would lose and will try to avoid the matchup. Tsarukyan added that he hopes Gaethje knocks Pimblett out.
