The UFC lightweight division is sizzling with controversy, ambition, and a healthy dose of trash talk as Arman Tsarukyan finds himself at the heart of a storm brewing ahead of UFC 324. The Armenian standout, once on the brink of a title shot, has been thrust into the spotlight not for his fighting prowess alone, but for the swirling drama that’s enveloped the top of the division. With the interim lightweight belt up for grabs in Las Vegas on January 24, 2026, there’s no shortage of intrigue, and Tsarukyan’s role—whether in the cage or on the sidelines—remains a focal point of fan debate.
Tsarukyan’s 2025 was a rollercoaster by any measure. The year began with him slated for a high-stakes clash against reigning champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311. But fate had other plans. An untimely injury forced Tsarukyan to withdraw from the bout during fight week, a decision that would ripple through the lightweight landscape for months to come. The fallout was immediate and severe: UFC President Dana White, never one to mince words, all but shut the door on Tsarukyan’s title hopes, at least for the time being. When White announced that Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje would vie for the interim lightweight crown at UFC 324, many fans were left scratching their heads.
“Everybody knows they’re trying to keep Paddy Pimblett away from me,” Tsarukyan told reporters, voicing a sentiment echoed by large swathes of the MMA community. “They want to make him a champion. They know if they put me against him, he’s gonna lose and the star is gonna be gone.”
It’s a bold claim, but Tsarukyan has the resume to back up his bravado. Riding a five-fight win streak in the UFC, including a submission victory over Dan Hooker, the 29-year-old has cemented his status as the number one contender at 155 pounds. Yet, despite making weight as a backup at UFC 317 and dominating every challenge thrown his way, Tsarukyan found himself on the outside looking in when it came time to book the interim title fight.
The reasons for Tsarukyan’s snub are layered, but Dana White made it clear that behavioral issues played a part. A particularly ill-advised headbutt on Dan Hooker at the ceremonial weigh-ins before UFC Qatar in November 2025 did little to endear him to the promotion’s brass. “That headbutt hurt his chances for high-profile fights,” White said during a recent podcast appearance. Combined with his withdrawal from the Makhachev fight, the Armenian’s standing with UFC leadership took a hit.
Meanwhile, Pimblett and Gaethje—ranked fifth and fourth in the division, respectively—were handed the golden ticket. The Liverpudlian, undefeated in his UFC run with a 7-0 record and boasting a 22-3 overall MMA slate, is seen by many as the promotion’s next big star. Gaethje, the battle-tested veteran, sits at 23-3 in MMA and 10-2 in the UFC. For Tsarukyan, the matchmaking makes perfect sense from a promotional standpoint, but not from a sporting one. “Gaethje is easy money for him,” Tsarukyan quipped. “He’s old, he has maybe one or two fights left.”
The war of words hasn’t been one-sided. Pimblett, never shy to stoke the flames, took aim at Tsarukyan’s grappling and questioned the legitimacy of his recent victories. “He is just one of them... he thinks because his family have got money and he has had everything handed to him on a plate for years, it will happen in the UFC. Lad, you have been told. You f****** pulled out of the Islam (Makhachev) fight with a 'bad back' when really he could not make weight,” Pimblett said during a heated exchange on Tom Aspinall’s YouTube channel.
Pimblett didn’t stop there, criticizing Tsarukyan’s submission win over Hooker and suggesting that his own grappling would pose a far greater threat. “Dan Hooker cannot grapple to save a man's life. That's it. And he (Hooker) nearly guillotined him. It just shows how bad Arman's grappling is compared with me. I was watching that thinking 'wow, if I got you in that guillotine, you are going unconscious.'”
Despite the verbal volleys, Tsarukyan has kept himself busy outside the octagon, refusing to let the UFC’s decision stall his momentum. On December 17, 2025, he clinched a title in ACBJJ by submitting Mehdi Baydulaev. Just weeks later, he made his freestyle wrestling debut at RAF 5, utterly dominating former PFL champion Lance Palmer by Technical Fall. He’s also faced off against the likes of Patricky Pitbull, Benson Henderson, and Shara Magomedov in professional grappling matches, demonstrating a willingness to compete across disciplines while awaiting his next UFC opportunity.
But Tsarukyan isn’t content to simply wait in the wings. He’s made it clear that he’ll be traveling to Las Vegas for UFC 324, weighing in as an alternate in case either Pimblett or Gaethje withdraws from the main event. “I’m too young to wait around, if they give me the BMF title, that would be great,” he told Ariel Helwani. “If Charles Oliveira wins [the BMF title at UFC 325], that’s gonna be good, we’ve got the story and then get that belt, and then go for the real belt. Just to stay busy. The grappling and the wrestling is good, but I’m here for the UFC.”
Looking ahead, Tsarukyan is eyeing a lightweight title shot in June 2026, targeting the winner of Pimblett vs. Gaethje. And if opportunities at 155 pounds dry up, he’s even floated the idea of dropping down to featherweight for a crack at another belt. “I’m not too big for 155lbs, so maybe one day I’ll go down to 145lbs just for a title fight,” he mused.
Yet, for all his ambition, Tsarukyan remains skeptical that Pimblett will ever agree to fight him. “I’m a nightmare for him and he knows that if we’re gonna fight, he’s gonna lose,” Tsarukyan insisted. “He’s gonna try not to fight me his whole life.” He’s also questioned Pimblett’s ability to dethrone the division’s absent king, Ilia Topuria. “He’s not gonna be even real champion. There is Ilia Topuria, and he can’t beat even Ilia Topuria.”
As the clock ticks down to UFC 324, the lightweight division is abuzz with speculation. Will Pimblett seize his moment and silence his critics? Can Gaethje spoil the party and set up a collision course with Tsarukyan? Or will fate intervene, thrusting the Armenian contender back into the title picture sooner than expected?
One thing’s for certain: Arman Tsarukyan isn’t going anywhere. Whether inside the octagon or on the sidelines, his presence looms large over a division in flux. With unfinished business, simmering rivalries, and a hunger for gold, the next chapter promises fireworks—regardless of who walks away with the interim strap in Las Vegas.
