UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan was on a hot streak, quickly rising to top contender status in the promotion’s most stacked division. Earlier this year, UFC scheduled him to face reigning champion Islam Makhachev on January 18 at UFC 311, a historic fight that would have made Tsarukyan the first Armenian to challenge for a UFC title. Unfortunately, just two days before the event, the title challenger suffered a back injury, forcing him to withdraw and miss the opportunity to fight for the coveted title.

The situation worsened after the event when UFC President Dana White denied Arman an immediate title shot upon Tsarukyan’s return. During the post-fight conference, White told the media, “He’s going back to the drawing board. I don’t want anybody to fight hurt, ever. You miss opportunities sometimes, and he did. We’ll see how this plays out for him next year.” Dana White made it clear that ‘Akhalkalakets’ wouldn’t be next in line for a title shot.

Months have passed since Dana’s declaration, and other major names like Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, and even reigning featherweight champion Ilia Topuria have entered the conversation. ‘El Matador’s name has gained widespread traction, with analysts like Kevin Iole suggesting that UFC International Fight Week this summer could be the stage for Makhachev’s fifth title defense against the Georgian export. Even fighters like Michael Bisping, Brendan Schaub, and Charles Oliveira’s coach, Diego Lima, have endorsed the idea.

However, when it comes to Arman Tsarukyan, UFC lightweight star Paddy Pimblett feels the Armenian fighter deserves the title shot more than “Hand Sanitizer Boy” Ilia Topuria. Recently, ahead of his fight against Michael Chandler at UFC 314, ‘Baddy’ sat down with ESPN and challenged Dana White’s decision.

He said, “I thought I felt a bit bad on him, like when Dana said, ‘No, he’s not next in line, he has to go back to the drawing board.’ It’s like a shot fired, but yeah, I think personally Arman still deserves the next title shot. You know, Islam already beaten Charles, he’s beaten Poirier… so I think the only person right for him to fight is Arman. Arman deserves that title shot more than ‘Hand Sanitizer Boy’ does.”

The rivalry between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett has grown heated, fueled by past events. The tension began when the Liverpool native made an insensitive remark about the Russian-Georgian war, which understandably angered ‘El Matador’. The situation escalated during UFC Fight Night 204 in London, where the two fighters had an altercation, and ‘The Baddy’ threw a sanitizer bottle at ‘El Matador’.

Despite the ongoing animosity between Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria, the question remains whether Dana White’s decision to deny Arman Tsarukyan an immediate title shot upon his return was justified. ‘Akhalkalakets’ recently shared his thoughts during his first public appearance since UFC 311. Let’s see what he had to say about the situation.

Arman Tsarukyan eyes a “title fight” while evaluating potential opponents

Despite Dana White’s firm stance, Arman Tsarukyan remains hopeful for a title fight in his next outing. Recently, #3-ranked lightweight contender Justin Gaethje delivered a standout performance at UFC 313, securing one of the best wins of his career over Azerbaijan’s Rafael Fiziev. With this unanimous victory, Gaethje positioned himself as a potential challenger for Islam Makhachev’s title defense, a prospect Gaethje embraced. However, Tsarukyan viewed Gaethje’s path to a title shot as “unfair.”

In an interview with The Schmo, Arman Tsarukyan dismissed the idea of Gaethje being next in line for Islam Makhachev and instead insisted on fighting Gaethje first. He argued that the winner of their matchup should earn the title shot. ‘Akhalkalakets’ said, “Gaethje wants a title fight, and it makes sense to fight me because nobody’s going to give him one without beating me. It wouldn’t be fair if he gets a title shot, so he has to go through me or Oliveira first. I think they’ll give me [Charles] Oliveira, [Justin] Gaethje, or maybe even a title fight.”

What do you think about Paddy Pimblett’s claims? Does Arman Tsarukyan deserve an immediate title shot upon his return to the Octagon, or do Ilia Topuria or Justin Gaethje deserve it more? Drop your thoughts below!