SUNRISE, Fla. – One month ago, UFC CEO Dana White said Arman Tsarukyan knows that “man sh*t” is the reason why he was snubbed from the interim lightweight title fight taking place at UFC 324.
According to Tsarukyan, however, he’s not spoken with anyone from the UFC about the situation.
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“Not yet,” Tsarukyan told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “I’ve got to go to Vegas and talk to them. We’ll see what they say.”
Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) isn’t clueless, though. He figures it’s because of his last-minute withdrawal from UFC 311 one year ago. Without a fight booked or in the works, he continues to stay busy competing in grappling and wrestling, with his latest coming Saturday night at RAF 5 from Amerant Arena, where he cruised past former PFL champion Lance Palmer in a wrestling match.
Tsarukyan, who’s ranked No. 1 in the official UFC lightweight rankings, isn’t thrilled about being left out of the title picture in favor of Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett, who meet in the UFC 324 main event on Jan. 24. He especially takes umbrage with Pimblett’s inclusion and believes he knows what the UFC is hoping for.
“Everybody knows they’re trying to keep Paddy Pimblett. They want to make him a champion,” Tsarukyan said. “It’s his chance, and they know if they put me against him, he’s gonna lose and the star is gonna be gone. Gaethje is easy money for him. … That’s why they gave him even interim title (shot), because he’s not gonna be even real champion. There is Ilia Topuria, and he can’t beat even Ilia Topuria.”
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Tsarukyan, 29, said he’s in shape and ready to be the backup at UFC 324 if the promotion wants to include him in those plans. Between the two UFC 324 headliners, it’s clear that Tsarukyan wants to fight Pimblett more than Gaethje, although he doubts the feeling is mutual.
“I’m a nightmare for him, and he knows that if we’re gonna fight, he’s gonna lose,” Tsarukyan said. “He’s gonna try not to fight me his whole life.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 324: Arman Tsarukyan rips Paddy Pimblett, says he’s scared
