UFC boss Dana White has confirmed that Ilia Topuria’s next fight will take place against the winner of the UFC 324 interim title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett.
Last night, Dana White delivered some surprising news for mixed martial arts fans. One of the biggest stories of the night was that, after Ilia Topuria took a short break due to personal issues, the UFC interim lightweight championship will be up for grabs at UFC 324. The two men competing are Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett.
As you can imagine, a lot of people were curious as to why Arman Tsarukyan wasn’t given a shot, especially considering he even said he was more than willing to make a quick turnaround and compete for the January card. Unfortunately, Arman was left out of the plans, although there was always a chance he would get a shot at Ilia Topuria when he returns, creating a sort of mini four-man tournament.
However, according to Dana White, that’s not what’s going to happen, and Tsarukyan’s journey to a title shot appears to have gotten even more complicated.
Dana White confirms Ilia Topuria’s next fight
Obviously you just watched Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett for the interim title,” White said on Instagram Live. “Earlier, Topuria posted, ‘I’m dealing with some personal issues so I won’t be fighting in the first quarter.’ The winner of Gaethje vs. Paddy will be the interim title holder and then they will face Topuria.”
Quotes via MMA junkie
Tsarukyan isn’t exactly everyone’s cup of tea and that goes without saying, but it’s certainly a bit strange that he isn’t taken into consideration here. Who knows, maybe the promotion still wants him to prove himself with one more fight, or maybe they think he’ll be happy enough to sit out for now.
#Ilia #Topuria #fight #UFC #interim #title #winner #Dana #White #confirms