Ariel Helwani has made waves at the UFC for booking an interim lightweight title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett to headline UFC 324 in the absence of Ilia Topuria.
Helwani pointed to the exclusion of Arman Tsarukyan. Tsarukyan, the number one ranked 155-pounder, recently scored a dominant submission victory against Dan Hooker. The Armenian fighter wanted a title shot in January 2026, but he was denied. His situation is complicated by Dana White’s statement that Topuria and the UFC 324 main event winner will face off in a title unification bout later next year.
According to Helwani, Gaethje vs. Pimblett is a “fake fight,” and instead of headlining UFC 324 with the interim title up for grabs, it should have just been a top match. While questioning the UFC about Tsarukyan’s future, who he will fight next and what he needs to do to get a title shot, Helwani said:
“An interim title fight without a number one contender. Because the number one contender at 155 pounds is a man named Arman Tsarukyan… This [Gaethje vs. Pimblett] is a fake fight… Him [Dana White] reiterated on Instagram Live: “the winner of this will fight Ilia.” What happens to Arman? Arman will have to fight who? What’s going on? What does Arman Tsarukyan have to offer to have a shot at the belt now?”
Check out Ariel Helwani’s comments below:
Luke Thomas and Ariel Helwani are criticizing the UFC after recent fight announcements
Following the latest bout announcements for the upcoming calendar year by Dana White, MMA journalist Luke Thomas called out the UFC for booking bouts based simply on maximizing revenue and not on actual matchmaking. Thomas said:
“They just get riches out of the fight, instead of matchmaking to get a really clear picture of who is the best.”
Check out Luke Thomas’ comments below:
Ariel Helwani also pointed out the mistakes the promotion could have avoided and suggested the most accurate and sensible matchups, via an X post:
“The next time you are told we have the best fights, remember this moment: 1. Gaethje/Paddy with Arman ready 2. Volk/Diego with Movsar and Lerone ready 3. Islam/Usman (presumably) with Shavkat, Morales, Prates, Garry all ready And an interim title fight – without the top contender – on one of the best female fights ever.”
Check out Ariel Helwani’s post below:
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