Tsarukyan Guaranteed Title Shot but Questions Whether Gaethje Will Stay

Arman Tsarukyan says the UFC promised him a championship fight after his UFC 331 knockout, but he doubts Justin Gaethje will accept the matchup.

Arman Tsarukyan has been told by the UFC that a championship bout awaits him next. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, the 29-year-old lightweight said the assurance came both before and after his first-round knockout of Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 in Los Angeles this past Saturday, his sixth consecutive victory inside the octagon.

Despite the promise, Tsarukyan is not certain the opponent will be reigning lightweight champion Justin Gaethje. He raised the possibility that Gaethje might walk away from the sport or demand a substantial payday to take the fight, while predicting the promotion will ultimately pay up and keep him around.

Tsarukyan also speculated that if Gaethje were given a choice of challenger, he would prefer Ilia Topuria, since he already holds a win over him. Topuria, who lost his title to Gaethje by stoppage at UFC Freedom 250 in June, reappeared publicly during UFC 331 fight week and pushed for a rematch, something Tsarukyan expects to continue.

For his part, Tsarukyan believes his own position is secure after the Ruffy performance, saying the UFC told him it would begin working on his title shot. His championship opportunity was arguably overdue, having withdrawn from a planned bout with then-champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 in January 2025 because of injury.

If Topuria misses out on an immediate rematch, Tsarukyan suggested a bout with Paddy Pimblett makes sense, calling that potential matchup roughly even given Pimblett's durable chin and strong cardio against Topuria's knockout power.