Arman Tsarukyan is drawing a hard line, and it cuts straight through the chaos surrounding UFC 324. As the interim title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett approaches, Tsarukyan finds himself in familiar territory: ranked No. 1 but standing on the outside, waiting. The difference this time? He’s refusing to play along unless it actually leads somewhere.

Speaking with Shakiel Mahjouri in an interview clip shared by Red Corner MMA on X, Tsarukyan was asked why he isn’t officially signed on as the backup fighter for UFC 324, a role many fans assume is his by default. His response was blunt.

“No, I didn’t talk to them,” Tsarukyan said. “And I wouldn’t cut my weight just for money because it’s hard, but if they ask me, I’ll do it. But they didn’t ask. So that’s why it’s better for me not to cut weight.”

And why would he? He’s already been down that road. Back in June 2025, Arman Tsarukyan did exactly what the UFC often demands. He cut weight, he stayed ready, and served as a de facto backup when Ilia Topuria fought Charles Oliveira. And what happened?

In his own words, “I already cut in June, you know, and nothing happened. And just I spent my energy for the training camp for that weight cut. It’s always stress when you cut your weight, you know.”

Weight cuts aren’t just physical. They hijack entire camps. They drain recovery. They spike injury risk. For a contender who has already withdrawn from a title fight once, a situation that reportedly still hangs over his standing with UFC brass and Dana White, every unnecessary cut is another gamble with diminishing returns.

However, that confidence is backed by numbers, not just bravado. Tsarukyan has won 10 of his last 11 fights. His most recent Octagon appearance ended with a dominant second-round stoppage of Dan Hooker, a proven top-tier gatekeeper. That win wasn’t competitive. It was authoritative, and despite being wary of taking on another weight cut, he hasn’t stopped throwing shots at Paddy Pimblett!

Arman Tsarukyan goes off on “trash can” Paddy Pimblett after his submission loss at a grappling tournament

The jab came the way most modern feuds do now  — fast, public, and sharp enough to linger. After Paddy Pimblett tapped to a calf slicer in his own gym’s year-end grappling tournament, Arman Tsarukyan wasted no time.

He went straight for the throat on X with, “Is this the trash can that said he can out grapple me?” Tsarukyan wrote, punctuating it with a laughing emoji.

Notably, this wasn’t a random gym clip. Pimblett lost in the final of the Next Generation MMA Liverpool grappling tournament, the same room where he’d ruled for three years. He didn’t get caught by a scrub either. He tapped to a calf slicer from Aaron Jordan, a jiu-jitsu black belt and longtime teammate. Still, optics matter. And Tsarukyan knew exactly what he was doing.

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Remember, Tsarukyan has already dismissed both sides of the UFC 324 main event. He called Pimblett and Justin Gaethje “punching bags,” adding, “I can see they’re not on my level.” This grappling loss just gave him visual ammunition.

At the same time, he’s not disappearing. He’s staying loud in the only arena he currently controls, and it reminds fans, matchmakers, and the division that while others are being positioned, he’s still the most complete lightweight in the room.