Arman Tsarukyan believed he had done everything right. He walked into UFC Qatar as the favorite, dismantled Dan Hooker with a second-round submission, and left with a Performance of the Night bonus around his waist. So when he sat down with Ariel Helwani days later, he didn’t couch his words or soften his stance. “It’s 100 percent got to be me. No way they can give Paddy Pimblett that fight,” he said, insisting his resume spoke louder than any rivalry storyline the UFC preferred.

From his perspective, Pimblett’s rise had been more fairy tale than fight merit. And the idea that the Liverpool star could leapfrog him for a title fight? That was the final sting. But soon after, the landscape of the entire lightweight division shifted.

During the recent NFL broadcast of Chiefs vs. Cowboys, Dana White revealed that Ilia Topuria would not fight in early 2026 due to personal issues. “I don’t want to hold up the division,” Topuria wrote in his statement, asking the UFC to make “matchups needed” until he returned.

With that, the UFC moved quickly as Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett would headline UFC 324 for the interim lightweight title, and Arman Tsarukyan’s reaction came fast and blunt. No long message. No emotional thread.

Just one line on X: “make it make sense 🤦🏻‍♂️” Meanwhile, Paddy Pimblett did what he always does: he leaned into the chaos. Fresh off the news, he posted, “You like apples? @ArmanUfc 🍎🤣,” a clear nod to Good Will Hunting and the iconic scene. The message wasn’t subtle; it was designed, sharpened, and fired directly at Tsarukyan.

And if that wasn’t enough, ‘The Baddy’ escalated the circus with a second post: a video of him and Gaethje together inside the Octagon, cut alongside an edited picture of Tsarukyan crying while Kendrick Lamar’s “TV Off” played in the background. And from Tsarukyan’s vantage point, the snub isn’t imagined, it’s personal.

He punched his ticket to a title shot when he beat Charles Oliveira at UFC 300, only for a back injury to rip that opportunity away days before UFC 311. Since then, he has been fighting to reclaim the spot he believes he already earned.

Watching Pimblett jump the queue for an interim title fight while he’s left waiting for a call? For a man who sees himself as the rightful No. 1 contender, that’s the kind of move that cuts deep.  But beneath the trolling lies a deeper and more uncomfortable truth for Tsarukyan: his timeline just got longer, maybe much longer.

What does the UFC 324 snub mean for Arman Tsarukyan’s future?

Ilia Topuria’s hiatus means the undisputed title won’t be defended until late 2026 at best. Gaethje and Pimblett will first fight in January, and the winner still needs months to recover, renegotiate, and prepare for Topuria’s return.

So where does that leave Arman Tsarukyan? Realistically, staring down the possibility of spending most, if not all, of 2026 without a title shot. His résumé should make him undeniable, yet he’s learning the hard way that star power often jumps the queue. The storylines between Topuria and Pimblett have history. Gaethje is a guaranteed ticket seller.

But Tsarukyan, far and away the most skilled contender of the trio, is now stuck waiting for a belt he believes he already earned. It’s possible the UFC may offer him another fight, perhaps against another top-five opponent like Max Holloway, or even a rematch with Charles Oliveira, since their last fight ended in a close split decision.

It might even be a title eliminator. But that’s not the prize Arman Tsarukyan wants. He wants a division that rewards wins, not words. And that’s why his reaction felt so pointed. He isn’t just asking for a fight. He’s demanding an explanation. He’s asking the question every hardcore fan whispered after the announcement: If beating ranked contenders, headlining events, and finishing elite fighters doesn’t get you a title shot, what does?