The ‘Baddy’ is celebrating Tsarukyan’s demise after the UFC opted to pit him against Justin Gaethje for the interim 155lb title instead of the Armenian
Paddy Pimblett has ripped into Arman Tsarukyan after his rival was snubbed of a title shot by UFC chief Dana White.
The ‘Baddy’ is set to make his highly-anticipated return to the cage next month. Pimblett will take on Justin Gaethje at UFC 324 on January 24 for the interim lightweight gold strap. It comes after undisputed king Ilia Topuria ruled himself out of a fight in the first quarter of 2026 due to personal reasons.
With the UFC throwing an interim prize on the line next month, many of the MMA faithful felt as if Tsarukyan did enough to be one half of the main event next month given his current No.1 status in the lightweight division. The Armenian fighter returned after a nearly a year away from the cage last month, submitting MMA veteran Dan Hooker in the second round in Qatar.
After being denied a shot at the title, Tsarukyan did not mince his words, expressing his anger. However, his British rival has explained exactly why the 29-year-old does not deserve the money-spinning fight. Tsarukyan was due to fight for the title back in January against Islam Makhachev, but was forced to pull out just a day before after picking up an injury.
That, and his previous behavioural issues, are the main reasons why it’s only fair that White has rejected Tsarukyan’s wish, according to the Liverpudlian. Speaking to Coin Poker, Pimblett said: “He’s going on about my opponents. He mentioned Chandler, when Chandler knocked out Hooker. Arman’s good, but I don’t understand how he’s b******* about not getting the title of the shot when he just about beat Charles Oilvera at UFC 300, won a split decision that I personally didn’t think he’d won.
“Then in the walk-outs, he punches a fan in the crowd, costing the UFC loads of money and then getting himself banned. He then gets his title shot in January, pulls out the night before the weigh in saying he’s got a bad back. We all know he never had a bad back. I don’t know if he s*** himself or he just couldn’t make weight but he ruined the whole main event. He then sits out for 11 months saying he deserves a title shot, and turns a fight down. Then he fights Dan Hooker. That’s an easy win for anyone in the top 10 who can grapple.”
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Clearly left aggravated by the UFC’s decision to pit Pimblett against Gaethje, the Armenian was quick to break his silence and offer his verdict on the situation. “Make it make sense,” he wrote in a post uploaded to X – formerly known as Twitter. To make matters worse, The Liverpudlian rubbed salt in Tsarukyan’s wounds, writing: “You like apples? @ArmanUfc.”
Following Tsarukyan’s win over Hooker a few weeks ago, he used the opportunity to call for a showdown with Topuria, saying: “I thank Dan (Hooker). Because of him, I fought this year. The only guy who wanted to fight me. Everybody is running, especially Ilia (Topuria). If you are here. Come on! We have got to face off. There is only one contender and No.1 is Arman Tsarukyan.”
When is the next UFC fight?
UFC 323 will take place on December 6 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas – headlined by a bantamweight clash between Merab Dvalishvili and Petr Yan. While official times are yet to be confirmed, expect the early prelims to get underway at 11pm UK time (3pm PT / 5pm CT / 6pm ET), with the prelims following at 1am UK time on Sunday (5pm PT / 7pm CT / 8pm ET on Saturday).
The main card will start at around 3am UK time on Sunday (7pm PT / 9pm CT / 10pm ET on Saturday). The main event between Dvalishvili and Yan will likely take place at around 5.30am UK time on Sunday. The fight should not start later than this but could be brought forward if the prelim fights are completed earlier than expected. Fans in the UK will be able to watch all of the action live on TNT Sports.
