Arman Tsarukyan is not going to get one other shot on the UFC middleweight title.
Tsarukyan was scheduled to problem former light-weight champion Islam Makhachev earlier this 12 months, however was pressured to drag out of the bout attributable to an damage within the eleventh hour. It shortly turned clear that this incident put him on the UFC’s naughty checklist, and it turned clear that he wanted to win yet another battle earlier than he might problem for the belt.
Tsarukyan was in his first battle since earlier this month, when he dominated Dan Hooker with a second-round submission victory in a bout the place he was thought of the No. 1 contender.
Nonetheless, it was later revealed that new light-weight champion Ilya Topria can be taking a while off from competing, and that light-weight contenders Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje would battle for the interim belt at UFC 324 within the absence of a champion.
This was a surprising flip of occasions, as Tsarukyan clearly deserved a title shot earlier than both of them.
Arman Tsarukyan reacts to UFC title snub
Tsarukyan was fairly quiet within the days following the UFC 324 information. Nonetheless, the highest light-weight contender broke his silence in a current interview with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.
Understanding he will not have a shot on the title, he declared the one significant battle was one with the UFC’s iconic BMF belt on the road. Meaning a battle with present BMF Champion Max Holloway.
“It is a enterprise,” Tsarukyan mentioned. “On the finish of the day, my objective is identical. Everyone knows I’m going to beat everybody and it’s solely a matter of time. I hope they not less than give me the BMF title. What are they going to present me? If not Holloway, who else can I battle in our division?”
No matter Tsarukyan’s future holds, I am certain he’ll finally face Topuria within the UFC Octagon.
“That battle is certainly going to occur,” he mentioned. “Everybody’s saying, ‘Arman, Armand, Armand.’ Everyone knows it is a bull—. The following champion is right here.”
