Remember when back in January, we were in for arguably the greatest lightweight matchup between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan? We would have probably seen the No. 1 UFC lightweight ranker get the better of Islam Makhachev who won in 2019 by one unanimous decision. Or, we could have seen the No. 1 pound-for-pound ranker defend his title in the UFC 311 headliner. No matter what would have gone down, the MMA fans? They would have gotten a fight to remember. But of course, that got de-railed when Arman pulled out his name days before the event due to a back injury. And Dana White? He was left searching for another name who would fight the Dagestani within 48 hours. But he did warn the Armenian star: “He will have to fight his way back to the title.” And he did give him another chance.

Just recently, the Akhalkalakets paired with another fighter. However, he turned the fight down because, “They offered an opponent I didn’t want to fight.” He clarified how, “The UFC has angered me that they offered me such an opponent. For them, this is disrespectful towards me. I deserve better. I’m ranked No. 1. I’m not saying give me a title fight, but give me a No. 1 contender fight.” But then came two names– #7 Mateusz Gamrot, someone on a losing streak right now. And #8 Paddy Pimblett, the fighter on an amazing winning streak. So although many believe that Tsarukyan has already denied the first, interestingly, his interactions about the latter have been, well, not as calming. And it all started like this:

• Pimblett started the fire: Following his win at UFC 314 against Michael Chandler, the British sensation called Arman, “just a little posh boy who’s had everything handed to him on a silver platter by his dad. No (he didn’t get injured), he’s a bi–h a-s. That’s what you are, Arman, little b— boy.”
• Tsarukyan added the fuel: As a response, Arman fired, “Says the guy who got the easiest path to the top in UFC just because he’s got a funny accent and budget Beatles haircut.

Seemingly, the Armenian has noticed Pimblett calling him out, and seems like he likes it as he confessed while praising his recent victorious run while talking to RED CORNER MMA. Arman said, “Paddy, he looked very good in his last fight. And now we can say he can beat top 10 fighters. I don’t know, so he’s number 8 or something, and he’s not gonna fight very soon. Maybe he wants to fight at the end of this year. But I wanna fight this summer and then end of this year.”

When the interviewer asked him, “So they did come to you with Paddy and said ‘Let’s put you in for the summer, would you take that?”

The fighter responded without hesitation, “Yeah, I’ll take that. I’ll take that because he has a big name, he just beat Michael Chandler, and he has a six or seven (fight) win streak. He never lose in the UFC, it makes sense. So, to get back and like, to get more fans from UK.” It is important to note that smile Arman gave as he mentioned how he can win the British hearts with a victory over their star, showing how excited this matchup makes him.

While for Tsarukyan it’s a fight for redemption, for Pimblett, a victory in this fight could be the most pivotal moment of his career yet. A win for either fighter at such high stakes can potentially lead to a title shot. And while both fighters are elite to say the least, the Scouser has a significant lead over Tsarukyan to become the next big thing in the UFC. So with that being said, will Paddy Pimblett deserve a title shot if he beats Arman Tsarukyan?

UFC legend and former lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Makhachev’s coach, Javier Mendez, argues that ‘The Baddy’ has already earned a shot at the Lightweight title.

Legendary coach Javier Mendez believes Paddy Pimblett already deserves a title shot

Following Pimblett’s dominant third-round TKO victory over Chandler at UFC 314, Javier Mendez was highly impressed by the Scouser. And why wouldn’t he be? That day, Pimblett had not only shocked Mendez but, in reality, he had shocked the whole world. Almost everyone counted Pimblett out of the fight, but as Paddy says, “Scousers don’t get knocked out.” He went on to prove everyone wrong and even turn a few haters into fans.

Following this massive victory, Mendez expressed his support for ‘The Baddy’ receiving a title shot. On the “Javier & Mo Show,” Mendez stated, “His credentials and his winning record in the UFC speak for themselves… If [UFC] gives him the next title shot, he deserves it.”

He also talked about his earlier dislike for the Scouser and how he came to like him. Mendez revealed, “He’s very interesting. He’s got all of England behind him and a lot of America behind him. He has a lot of fans. I’m a fan. I wasn’t a fan in the beginning when he fought Jared Gordon.” Despite Pimblett’s assertion that he might need one more fight before challenging for the title, Mendez believes the fighter is ready to face any top contender, including Makhachev.

So, after taking this into account, the question arises: Does Pimblett need to fight Tsarukyan? With the push of influential personalities like Mendez himself and the right moment, it’s not unlikely that we see Pimblett compete for the title. He has a huge crowd backing him, he can walk the talk, and he’s good with his words.

Knowing Paddy Pimblett, we are sure he won’t back down from this challenge. But with a whole set of opponents to choose from, who will Paddy Pimblett choose to fight next? And will he be able to beat Arman Tsarukyan if they potentially fight next? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.