Arman Tsarukyan has claimed the UFC has given him a date for his next fight, despite his frosty relationship with the promotion’s president Dana White.
Despite Tsarukyan’s status as No 1 contender at lightweight, he was overlooked for a place in January’s interim-title fight, with Justin Gaethje dominating Paddy Pimblett to set up a shot at Ilia Topuria.
It was announced on Saturday that Gaethje will challenge Topuria for the regular title at the White House, when the UFC holds an unprecedented event on 14 June. And at the same press conference, White addressed Tsarukyan’s situation.
“We’ll get Arman figured out,” said White. “I don’t know. I’m not thrilled with Arman right now, and there’s a lot of different reasons; it’s not just the things that you see publicly. No, [I won’t elaborate]. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and Arman’s been smoking a lot recently.”
White also referenced a brawl that had marred Tsarukyan’s previous contest, a grappling win against Georgio Poullas on 28 February. Tsarukyan beat Poullas via decision but took issue with the latter’s approach during the bout, accusing him of various slaps; he then punched Poullas when the contest ended, sparking the brawl.
“Yeah, I don’t love it, I don’t love it,” White said, “but that night, it was somebody else’s problem – not mine. That’s all I’ve got to say about that.”
Tsarukyan has grappled again since beating Poullas, choking ex-UFC flyweight Muhammad Mokaev unconscious on Wednesday. Afterwards, the Armenian spoke to Red Corner MMA about his UFC predicament.
“I don’t know why Dana speaks ill of me, but I have no problem with [the UFC] or any behind-the-scenes issues,” said the 29-year-old.
“There’s no point in addressing [White], because I don’t negotiate with him. I am in talks with Hunter [Campbell, UFC CBO], because he’s in charge of matchmaking.
“Dana probably just approves everything related to fights, but the actual matchmakers are Sean Shelby, Hunter, so I’ve got nothing to say to Dana.
“I need to ask Hunter for a fight. We talked this morning and he gave me a date for my next fight.”
Tsarukyan’s last UFC outing came in November, as he submitted Dan Hooker to solidify his No 1 ranking. However, that bout took place almost 18 months after his previous UFC fight, a narrow points win over former champion Charles Oliveira.
Tsarukyan was due to challenge then-lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in January 2025, but the Armenian withdraw on one day’s notice, citing a back injury. White has since hinted that the episode led to some of his issues with Tsarukyan, while many fans believe that the fighter’s weigh-in headbutt on Hooker did not help.
After Tsarukyan withdrew from his planned fight with Makhachev, who outpointed him in 2019, the latter submitted Renato Moicano on short notice then gave up the lightweight belt. In November, Makhachev dominated Jack Della Maddalena to win the welterweight title.
Last June, Topuria knocked out Oliveira in round one to win the lightweight title vacated by Makhachev. The Georgian-Spaniard has not fought since, but his eagerly-anticipated return will come at the White House.
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