Arman Tsarukyan may have made weight and shown up at UFC 317 as the backup for the high-stakes title clash between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira, but that effort still isn’t earning him the golden ticket he might’ve hoped for. In fact, Dana White shut down any speculation about ‘Ahalkalakets’ receiving the Colby Covington treatment during the UFC 317 post-fight presser and signaled that the Armenian is going “back to the drawing board” instead of to a title shot.

The tension, however, traces back to UFC 311, where Arman Tsarukyan abruptly withdrew from a scheduled title bout, citing back pain. His last-minute bail left the January pay-per-view hanging in the balance — a move that clearly rubbed the UFC higher-ups the wrong way. With the coveted BMF title up for grabs at UFC 319 between Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier, the big question is whether Tsarukyan’s comeback story might take a different turn.

Arman Tsarukyan wants in on Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier bout

At UFC 317, Dana White didn’t mince words, “Did not make weight, couldn’t fuck up anything worse than that,” he said, pouring cold water on Arman Tsarukyan’s hopes of fast-tracking to a title shot. With the road to the undisputed title now looking a bit murky, the Armenian standout has shifted gears and set his sights on the promotion’s coveted BMF title. The championship belt is on the line at UFC 318 on July 19, as the UFC makes its long-awaited return to New Orleans after over ten years.

The card will see Max Holloway defend the BMF crown against veteran Dustin Poirier in what’s being promoted as Poirier’s “Last Dance”—his last fight in a storied, 40-bout career. Arman Tsarukyan is again positioning himself as a potential backup fighter for the marquee matchup, though there’s been no confirmation yet from Dana White or the UFC brass. In a recent interview with Daniel Cormier, Tsarukyan opened up about his mindset, “If they call me, if I need to be a backup, I’ll be the backup.” For now, however, he’s taking a well-earned breather.

“They didn’t tell me, like, ‘You’re going to be backup.’ I’m just saying, like, if they need me — if someone pulls out, if something happens — I’ll be there and try to make my weight and fight for the title, because that’s a good opportunity,” Arman Tsarukyan explained.

Arman Tsarukyan is soaking up the sun on a “one week” getaway in Thailand and is set to touch down back in the U.S. this Sunday. He stepped back into the octagon more than a year ago at the landmark UFC 300, where he snagged a split-decision win against Charles Oliveira. However, things took a turn for the worse when the commission put the brakes on ‘Ahalkalakets’ after he got into a scuffle with a fan while making his way out of the octagon.

Charles Oliveira makes bold call ahead of Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier trilogy at UFC 318

UFC 318 may not pack the same punch as UFC 317, but for fans, it’s shaping up to be one of the most heart-tugging nights we’ve seen in a while. Two fan-favorite fighters are gearing up to throw down, and with the UFC finally making its much-anticipated comeback to Louisiana, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Fans are gearing up to see the last act of Dustin Poirier’s legendary career.

As the excitement ramps up, Charles Oliveira — a guy who’s gone toe-to-toe with both fighters in the Octagon — shared his two cents on the matter. He took a hit against Max Holloway in the featherweight division, but he turned the tables with a win over Dustin Poirier in lightweight. When asked for his prediction ahead of the New Orleans showdown, Oliveira threw his support behind ‘The Diamond’, giving a nod to his technical skills.

Oliveira shared, “I think Holloway is a guy who moves a lot, a guy who catches. But man, Dustin Poirier is a guy that I have huge respect for. For me, of all of the guys I’ve fought, he’s the one with the sharpest boxing. He fights more consciously, he has a very heavy hand. He knows how to play the game. He will fight at home practically, so I think Poirier wins.”

With UFC 318 right around the corner and excitement reaching a fever pitch over the much-anticipated Dustin Poirier vs. Max Holloway trilogy, fans across the board are chiming in. What’s your angle on this? Lay your bets in the comments below!