The UFC’s January pay-per-view just dropped a bomb on the lightweight division — and no one felt the explosion harder than Arman Tsarukyan.
Despite being the No. 1 contender for nearly a full year, Tsarukyan was bypassed for the newly created interim lightweight title at UFC 324. Instead, the promotion booked Paddy Pimblett vs. Justin Gaethje for the belt on Jan. 24 in Las Vegas, the company’s first PPV under the new Paramount CBS broadcast era.
For Tsarukyan, who just mauled Dan Hooker in Qatar and has won 10 of his last 11, the snub felt surreal.