Arman Tsarukyan has been the UFC’s top lightweight contender for the better part of the past two years, yet he has not fought for the title during that span and it doesn’t appear like that’s going to be changing in the immediate future.
During an interview with Robbie Fox of the Spinnin’ Backfist MMA Show, UFC president Dana White said, “A lot of things have factored in” to Tsarukyan being passed over.
The fact that the reigning champion, Ilia Topuria, announced late last year he’d be taking a leave of absence from the sport due to personal reasons didn’t change anything for Tsarukyan either.
The UFC elected to introduce an interim title with Topuria out, however, the organization went with Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 at the end of January to kick off their 2026 schedule and Tsarukyan was left without a dance partner.
Tsarukyan maintained his place as the top lightweight contender with a submission win over Dan Hooker in the main event of a UFC Fight Night event in November, yet he also put that matchup in jeopardy the day prior to the card when he headbutted Hooker at the ceremonial weigh-in.
White confirmed that the unprofessional action, which could’ve led to the cancellation of the bout had there been an injury or laceration to Hooker, “a hundred per cent” did factor into the decision to keep Tsarukyan on the outside of the interim title picture.
The Hooker headbutt wasn’t the first impulsive action from Tsarukyan in recent years, either. He had previously been fined and suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission for an altercation with a fan that occurred during his walkout to the cage ahead of his UFC 300 victory over former champion Charles Oliveira.
In addition to those aforementioned antics, the 29-year-old from Armenia had been scheduled to challenge former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in an anticipated title bout at UFC 311 in January of last year but withdrew from the bout on the eve of the event with what he said was a back injury he sustained while cutting weight. Tsarukyan has not been in the good graces of the organization since then, and White said at the time, “He’s not getting (the next) title shot, so that means he’s going to have to fight his way back to the title.”
Tsarukyan did weigh in as the official backup fighter for Topuria’s title fight with Oliveira at UFC 317 in late June — partly as a gesture to make amends with UFC brass for what happened at UFC 311 — but his services were ultimately not required and he was eventually paired with Hooker later in the year. Tsarukyan had not fought in a year and a half but looked sharp against Hooker. Tsarukyan has now gone 10-1 over his past 11 fights, including knockout victories over ranked lightweights Beneil Dariush and Joel Alvarez.
Tsarukyan remains the official No. 1-ranked contender in the 155-pound weight class. Gaethje, who has already competed in multiple title fights during his UFC career, enters UFC 324 ranked No. 4 at lightweight. Pimblett is 7-0 in the UFC and has moved up to No. 5 in the division. However, Pimblett’s only win over a current ranked fighter is his UFC 314 stoppage of Michael Chandler, who’s still ranked No. 12 despite being just 2-5 in the UFC.
Theoretically, if the winner of Gaethje vs. Pimblett goes on to face Topuria when the champ is ready to return, it could leave Tsarukyan waiting even longer before his next opportunity to petition for a title shot.
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