After being denied a title shot, number one ranked UFC lightweight contender, Arman Tsarukyan, has taken a swipe at the UFC by stating that the title is just a formality for him.
Tsarukyan did called 155-pound champion Ilia Topuria most recently after scoring a Round 2 submission win against Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar. However, Topuria has taken a break and secondly has no interest in fighting ‘Ahalkalakets’.
Meanwhile, disregarding Tsarukyan’s wishes, the promotion announced an interim title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett, which will headline UFC 324.
‘Ahalkalakets’ then showed interest in fighting BMF champion Max Holloway. However, Tsarukyan’s second wish was also ignored when the promotion Holloway vs. Charles Oliveira 2 announced as headliner at UFC 326.
However, recently Arman Tsarukyan and UFC head Dana White reaffirmed that despite Tsarukyan’s denial of a title shot, the promotion does not despise him, and he is aware of how things are going behind the scenes.
In the meantime, the Armenian fighter has kept himself busy. He recently captured the All-Star title after submitting Mehdi Baydulaev in a wrestling bout at ACBJJ 20. ‘Ahalkalakets’ will face UFC middleweight fighter Sharaputdin Magomedov in a new wrestling match under the Hype FC banner on December 30.
On January 10, 2026, Tsarukyan will face Lance Palmer in a freestyle wrestling match at the RAF 05 event in Amerant Bank Arena, Florida.
Arman Tsarukyan takes a swipe at the UFC
After being denied a title shot he deserved, Arman Tsarukyan seems to have gotten used to the fact that he is currently the best UFC lightweight and the unbelted champion. Tsarukyan recently posted on Threads:
“It’s not without reason that number 1 is next to my name. The belt is just a formality at this point.”
Check out Arman Tsarukyan’s post below:
The Armenian fighter received his title shot earlier this year at UFC 311. However, he had to pull out of the fight at the last minute due to a back injury. Since then, he has been trying to get back into the promotion’s good graces for a second title shot.
However, ‘Ahalkalakets’ won’t be fighting for the undisputed UFC lightweight title anytime soon, as soon-to-be-crowned interim lightweight champion Ilia Topuria will fight to unify the titles later in 2026.
However, Tsarukyan doesn’t want to leave any opportunity on the table and recently expressed his desire to serve as an official backup for the headliner of UFC 324. In the event that Pimblett or Gaethje pull out, he will be ready to step in and fight for the interim title.
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