Ultimate Fighting Championship light gold.
Tsarukyan strengthened his case with a first-round knockout
Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331finishing the Brazilian with a pair of elbows late in the opening round. While the win further solidified Tsarukyan’s position as the top contender at 155 pounds, he claims that the reigning champion, Justin Gaethjeavoids him.
Tsarukyan explains why he doubts Gaethje will agree to a UFC lightweight title fight
In the post-fight presser, Tsarukyan expressed that he has little confidence that the fight against Gaethje will happen. The Armenian believes that the fact that the champion never calls him out or mentions his name is a stylistic sign that he is afraid of the match.
“He never says my name, so he’s scared,” Tsarukyan said. “He knows he wanted Luffy to knock me out, so that means he’s trying to avoid me. And he’s trying to call out Ilia Topuria or tell the UFC, “I want 15 million for Arman Tsarukyan or I’m retired” and he’ll play crap.
Gaethje’s stance doesn’t bother Tsarukyan, who says the American has limited options.
“But you’ll see if he fights me or has to vacate the title… Give the young guys a chance,” added Tsarukyan. “We have a lot of contenders right now. I honestly don’t care. I just want to fight for the title and be the champion no matter who’s against me.”
Tsarukyan got his first title shot in early 2025 against the then lightweight champion Islam Makhachovbut pulled out of the bout just hours before the weigh-in, drawing the ire of the promotion. Since then, he has recorded two finishes and his star power has increased significantly, which has fueled his title shot.
