Arman Tsarukyan made himself almost undeniable as a contender for the UFC lightweight title after dismantling Mauricio Ruffy with a vicious first-round TKO via elbows at UFC 331 in September. Now, the Armenian’s long-time dream of fighting for 155-pound gold appears closer than ever, with him revealing a potential timeline for his return.   

Speaking to MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, Tsarukyan disclosed that his potential fight for the lightweight gold has already entered discussion.

“If they wouldn’t give me a title at 155, I would go down (to 145 pounds), but as I heard, I’m going to fight for the title next,” Tsarukyan said. “So I’m going to be in my division and stay there. I don’t want to move anywhere, because I feel like lightweight is the perfect weight class for me.

“I want to be the best ever lightweight fighter, and break all records there. And we have so many big names, and we have a lot of contenders, so it’s going to be fun.”    

Tsarukyan refrained from revealing the details of when he heard about conversations around his title shot. However, the Armenian’s admission prompted Heck to ask him about his potential timeline for his return, to which the lightweight contender offered a proper answer.

“Beginning of the next year,” Tsarukyan said.

Heck specified the question even more by asking Tsarukyan if he meant March or April.

“Almost,” Tsarukyan added.

Though Tsarukyan didn’t disclose an exact timeline, his words point toward a potential return in the early months of 2027, possibly around March or April. He has previously called out Justin Gaethje, but this seems to be the first time he has associated his callout with a possible date.

Interestingly, the lightweight champion Justin Gaethje is also eyeing a similar timeline, which lends Tsarukyan’s claim more credibility. 

‘The Highlight’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, told MMA Junkie in August that Gaethje’s ongoing recovery from injuries sustained in the Ilia Topuria fight at UFC White House has pushed his comeback timeframe to early 2027, which aligns with Tsarukyan’s.

Plus, Gaethje himself recently revealed on Andrew Schulz’s podcast that Tsarukyan is the only guy who’s earned a shot at his title.

In fact, impressed by Tsarukyan’s knockout victory at UFC 331, Dana White stated at the post-fight press conference that the Armenian “couldn’t be in a better position.” The UFC CEO didn’t guarantee a title shot, but his words couldn’t be a more positive sign for Tsarukyan.

Nothing has been set in stone just yet. However, all the signs are pointing towards a generational clash between Arman Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje for the lightweight belt in 2027.

But as Arman Tsarukyan has spoken about his title shot, another hurdle might complicate his chances. According to Joe Rogan, another former champion might potentially take his place. 

Joe Rogan believes Charles Oliveira could take Arman Tsarukyan’s place in the title-shot race

Reflecting on the 155-pound title picture, Joe Rogan acknowledged that Arman Tsarukyan vs. Justin Gaethje would be the biggest fight the promotion could make right now. However, the longtime commentator isn’t opposed to the UFC exploring a rematch between Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje.

“I think Arman’s the fight, the big fight is Arman, especially after what Arman did to Ruffy. That’s the big fight, and also, that’s the most compelling fight because Arman looks like indestructible,” Rogan said at the JRE episode with Robert Whittaker. “He looks like the guy… He’s really f— good, and that’s the fight. 

“However, if I was Justin and I was looking at the landscape and I’m like, ‘who shall I fight?’ If Oliveira wins in his next fight and retains his BMF title and then Justin fights him in a rematch for the BMF and lightweight title together, I could see that fight too.” 

Charles Oliveira is currently set to defend his BMF title against Diego Lopes at UFC 335 on December 12 at T-Mobile Arena. The Brazilian firmly believes a successful outing against Lopes should establish him as a potential title contender, and he recently presented some arguments to support his case as well.

The former lightweight champion aimed at Tsarukyan, saying he is comparatively much more reliable than the Armenian and sells fights a lot better. Plus, he also brought up his three-fight winning streak if he beats Lopes later this year as a case for a title shot.

Despite Oliveira ticking all the boxes, it seems the UFC and the lightweight champion’s interests lie in a fight against Arman Tsarukyan. But only time will reveal how the title scenario unfolds.