Arman Tsarukyan is squeezing in one final showdown before the year wraps up, though surprisingly, it won’t take place under the UFC banner.
“Ahalkalakets” cemented his place as the lightweight division’s top contender with a commanding performance over Dan Hooker at UFC Doha last month. The victory appeared to position him perfectly for a crack at champion Ilia Topuria. Yet despite that momentum, he’s hit a frustrating wall, struggling to persuade the UFC that he deserves the next title shot.
After Topuria revealed he would be stepping away briefly for personal reasons, the promotion moved quickly and set up an interim title clash for January 2026, matching former title challenger Justin Gaethje against Paddy Pimblett as the UFC 324 headliner.