Arman Tsarukyan has kept himself busy outside the UFC after he was denied a second title shot.
Tsarukyan has been accumulating accolades one by one, winning grappling and wrestling bouts. In the past months, he submitted Mehdi Baydulaev at ACBJJ 20 and grabbed the All-Star Title. ‘Ahalkalakets,’ also made his freestyle wrestling debut at RAF05, securing a tech fall against Lance Palmer.
Apart from that, Arman Tsarukyan’s recent PR run has been impressive. He has been highly visible across multiple interviews and lifestyle vlogs, offering fans a glimpse into his lavish lifestyle and personality. Most recently, he appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show and also drew significant fan attention through his interactions with popular streamers and creators, including Adin Ross, N3ON, The MMA Guru, and Demetrious Johnson, among others.
In short, Arman Tsarukyan is ALMOST EVERYWHERE. And there’s one thing common in every interview, which is the Armenian taking back-to-back digs at ‘The Baddy.’
Arman Tsarukyan and Paddy Pimblett have shared a strained relationship ever since the UFC chose the Brit and not the Armenian to fight for the interim title at UFC 324. Despite being the number one contender for over a year and not getting what he deserves, Tsarukyan has voiced his frustration many times. Pimblett, on the other hand, has taken back-to-back digs at the 29-year-old after the latter was denied the title opportunity in 2026. Pimblett believes Tsarukyan is not worthy of fighting for the belt and claims he can submit the latter or even knock him out.
On UFC 324 fight week, the Armenian fighter who loves to play the heel with Pimblett posted on Threads:
“It’s Chubby Paddy fight week, but I’m doing the press run. Wake up, fata*s, and get to work. It’s not a good look for the UFC.”
Check out Arman Tsarukyan’s comments below:
In response, Pimblett, who believes Tsarukyan is trying to copy him, went in on the latter’s recent PR run. In an interview with Full Send MMA, he said:
“He’s tryna be me on social media, eating burgers and pizza and all that. Stick to caviar, you posh little c**t. I hate him too, I think he’s a pretentious wa*ker.”
Check out Paddy Pimblett’s comments below:
Why was Arman Tsarukyan denied a title shot?
According to UFC CEO Dana White, there are multiple reasons why Arman Tsarukyan was denied a title shot.
Last year at UFC 311, ‘Ahalkalakets’ got his first golden opportunity to fight for the belt against then-155-pound champion Islam Makhachev. However, the Armenian fighter had to withdraw from this high-profile rematch at the last moment because of a back injury. He later revealed that it was a hernia, because of which he had to pull out.
The promotion was not pleased with the pullout, and Dana White immediately stated that Tsarukyan is going back to the drawing board and will have to work his way back for another title shot. To get back in the good books, ‘Ahalkalakets’ made weight and served as backup for the UFC 317 title bout. After that, he beat Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar and called for a title shot, but Dana White revealed that Arman Tsarukyan headbutting ‘The Hangman’ at the UFC Qatar weigh-ins and, before that, punching a fan at UFC 300 are reasons why he was denied the opportunity to fight for the lightweight belt in 2026.
