Last night, UFC President Dana White confirmed that Arman Tsarukyan will be the backup fighter for the lightweight title fight on June 14 between champion Ilia Topuria and interim champion Justin Gaethje.
The Armenian top contender at lightweight was also the backup fighter last year during International Fight Week when Ilia Topuria beat Charles Oliveira to become the UFC lightweight champion. Heavy.com reached out to Tsarukyan’s manager, Daniel Rubenstein, and asked why he accepted the backup spot for the fight at the White House.
(via @Ninadrama)
Arman Tsarukyan Will Fight For The UFC Lightweight Title This Year
“Arman being the backup for the UFC lightweight championship again solidifies him as the number one contender. He will be the next challenger regardless of what happens in the main event at UFC Freedom 250,” Rubenstein said.
“If Arman isn’t asked to step in on June 14, we expect him to challenge for the lightweight title in the fall, or at worst, before the end of 2026.”
For Tsarukyan, it would be a long-overdue title shot. The Armenian has been the top contender for some time in the lightweight division. Tsarukyan won ten of his twelve fights in the UFC and only came up short in his debut against former lightweight champion and current welterweight champion Islam Makhachev and in a controversial unanimous decision loss against the tough Mateusz Gamrot.
After the loss against Gamrot, Tsarukyan was able to get five wins in a row. He secured his title shot by beating former champion Charles Oliveira in April 2024 via split decision. Tsarukyan was supposed to fight champion Islam Makhachev in January 2025, but pulled out one day before the fight with a back injury. UFC President Dana White told the media multiple times that because of that, he had to go back in line.
Arman Tsarukyan Is One Of The Best Lightweights For A Long Time
Also, some shenanigans outside the Octagon didn’t help the Tsarukyan. After a fan flipped him off right before the Oliveira fight, he got physical with the guy. He got suspended and fined by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, but that was before the scheduled fight against Makhachev. In his most recent fight, Tsarukyan beat Dan Hooker by arm-triangle choke submission in the second round. It was a relatively easy win for the top contender.
Afterwards, the main topic was the staredown right before the fight. Tsarukyan pushed his head into Hooker’s face, headbutting the New Zealander. Hooker laughed about but afterwards told the media that Tsarukyan broke his nose during the staredown. Tsarukyan still seemed to be next for a title shot, but the UFC decided differently.
Ilia Topuria wasn’t able to defend his title in January because of personal issues. Because of this, the UFC made an interim title fight happen. Arman Tsarukyan didn’t get the call, but Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje did. The reaction of UFC President Dana White was that this is the fight that the fans want to see. Gaethje won after five rounds and became the interim champion. On June 14, he is challenging Topuria for the undisputed title. Tsarukyan, if he doesn’t step in, will wait for the winner.
Arman Tsarukyan’s Manager Explains Why They Took Backup Spot