Since pulling out of UFC 311, Arman Tsarukyan has struggled to make his case for the gold. But with Ilia Topuria’s hiatus and Dana White setting up an interim title, many believed the Armenian would get his chance. However, despite being the No. 1 contender, the CEO snubbed him in favor of Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje’s UFC 324. So, has the lightweight star burned the bridges with White? He recently addressed the rumors about his relationship with the UFC CEO.

“He didn’t say that. He said that he ‘COULD have fired Arman,'” Arman Tsarukyan stated at the ACBJJ 20 presser. “People think that I have a bad relationship with Dana White. It’s not true.”

When Ahalkalakets pulled out of UFC 311 against Islam Makhachev due to a back injury, no doubt his relationship with White saw some strains. In fact, White plainly stated that Tsarukyan needs to work harder to get a chance at the title again. But it is also hard to ignore the fact that the Armenian has received a couple of big fights that ultimately did not happen…

Back in UFC 313, the top lightweight contender was one of the names in contention to replace Dan Hooker and face Justin Gaethje. However, the latter turned him down, choosing to fight Rafael Fiziev instead.

Then there was the July 26th Abu Dhabi rematch possibility with Mateusz Gamrot. That time, Tsaruyan turned it down, mentioning a disrespectful offer. Instead, the bout was headlined by Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder. Since then, he has fought in the UFC Qatar headliner against Hooker, winning impressively.

Once again, as he claims, he is an unofficial backup to the Gaethje-Pimblett fight. For the same, he has clarified that he won’t be cutting weight and will continue his training until the bout is over and he knows he doesn’t need to fight. Because if the opportunity knocks, he will be up for the challenge, whether it is ten days in advance or five.

“We have a difficult path ahead of us, and we have to be ready at all times,” Tsarukyan mentioned of UFC 324 and his title shot.

Besides, Dana White has clarified his stance on Arman Tsarukyan as well.

While UFC CEO doesn’t prefer discussing internal matters in public, for those who wanted to know, he reiterated that the lightweight star is not completely in the doghouse, despite UFC 324 snub that some supported.

“He’s here [in the UFC]. You know what I didn’t do? We haven’t cut him. We’re not sideways with him. We don’t dislike him,” Dana White told The Mac Life.

Well, Arman Tsarukyan needs to keep making the effort to get on Dana White’s good side. That’s because he’s got some ambitions that could only happen if he can have the CEO on his side.

Tsarukyan is targeting the Paul brothers

Arman Tsarukyan’s dreams in his professional career are quite commendable. During his appearance on the ACBJJ 20 presser, the Armenian star revealed that his plans in the future involve, of course, winning the UFC title, and even defending it as many times as he can. However, the most surprising thing that he talked about was his wish to get into boxing, but he doesn’t wish to compete against professional boxers.

Instead, Tsarukyan wants to compete in crossover boxing. His opponent of choice? Either Jake Paul or Logan Paul. We’ve already seen how big an impact El Gallo has made in the boxing world. With his WWE career in full swing, fighting The Maverick won’t be a bad decision for Tsarukyan either.

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However, Arman Tsarukyan does have a wish to fight one of the biggest boxing legends ever–Manny Pacquiao. He has clearly set a high bar for himself, but it’s hard to say if Dana White will give him the support he needs to pursue these objectives.