The lightweight division’s top contender will not be fighting for the championship, and the UFC president has explained the reason why.
Paddy Pimblett is set to take on Justin Gaethje in the UFC 324 main event for the interim lightweight belt, but many feel Arman Tsarukyan should be in that spot.
Many expected that his November victory would put him back on solid terms with the organisation, but that has not seemed to happen.
UFC commentator Jon Anik has been vocal about Tsarukyan’s situation, saying he has been ‘treated unfairly’ by being kept out of title contention for so long.
Dana White has since offered some insight into why ‘Ahalkalakets’ was not chosen to fight for the interim belt this month.
Dana White points to headbutt as key reason behind Arman Tsarukyan’s title snub
Hoping to establish his reliability with the UFC, Tsarukyan has expressed his readiness to be a backup at UFC 324, positioning himself to step in if required.
His late withdrawal from UFC 311’s main event and the surrounding speculation have contributed to his slide down the lightweight rankings.
Even after an impressive showing against Dan Hooker, White has maintained that Tsarukyan still needs to ‘work his way back’ into contention.
During a recent appearance on the Spinnin Backfist MMA Show, the UFC boss addressed the situation again.
He acknowledged that some fans believe Tsarukyan should be involved in the upcoming interim lightweight title fight but pointed to one specific incident that influenced the decision.
Tsarukyan’s intensity was evident the day before his most recent fight, as the Armenian fighter headbutted Hooker during their final face-off, an incident that could have caused problems for the promotion.
“100 percent. A lot of things have factored in, you know,” White replied when asked whether this contributed to ‘Ahalkalakets’ being snubbed once again.
Arman Tsarukyan could be facing a former UFC interim champion next
Tsarukyan has stayed active by continuing to compete outside the UFC.
He has been active in the grappling scene lately, with another match scheduled for this weekend, taking on several opponents who are familiar faces from his UFC days.
Armand Martirosian, CEO of Hype FC, mentioned during an interview on Jason Takhtadjian’s YouTube channel that there have been talks with Dustin Poirier about a potential matchup with Tsarukyan.
He noted that ‘The Diamond’, who stepped away from fighting last year, has not put pen to paper yet but there was ongoing discussion about making it happen.
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