Backup?
No. 1-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight Arman Tsarukyan won’t be fighting for the interim 155-pound title next month at UFC 324 inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas — but that doesn’t mean he’s completely out of the picture.
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If either Justin Gaethje or Paddy Pimblett is forced out of their interim title bout, Tsarukyan says he’s more than willing to step in on short notice.
Tsarukyan addressed the situation while speaking with reporters following his grappling match in Russia yesterday (watch highlights), where he was asked if he had a preference between Gaethje or Pimblett should the call come.
“Honestly, they are both punching bags,” Tsarukyan said bluntly. “Punching bags you still have to prepare for like a title fight, because anything can happen. But I can see they’re not on my level. That’s why I’m not fighting this time. If I were weaker, I would definitely be there fighting.”
Tsarukyan made it clear he has no intention of letting his conditioning slip in case the UFC needs him.
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“If any of them gets injured, I will take the fight. I’m going to stay in shape,” he added. “The UFC didn’t announce a backup fighter for this fight, but anything is possible. If they call me a week or even two or three weeks before, I’ll be ready.”
For now, Tsarukyan appears to be boxed out of the immediate title picture. Gaethje and Pimblett are expected to unify the Lightweight belt against champion Ilia Topuria sometime in 2026, assuming Topuria’s current absence — due to personal matters — doesn’t extend longer than expected.
That uncertainty could still open a door. If Topuria remains sidelined, Tsarukyan could find himself right back in the mix for an interim title defense — even if UFC CEO Dana White continues to insist the Armenian contender must “work his way back” to a shot at gold.
That path likely means fewer Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu appearances and more cage fighting, especially after Tsarukyan’s most recent Octagon outing ended in a dominant second-round stoppage of Dan Hooker (watch highlights).
