Tsarukyan Calls Gaethje Scared and Predicts Stall Tactics on Title Shot
Arman Tsarukyan says the lightweight champ is dodging him and will demand $15 million or call out someone else.
Arman Tsarukyan is done waiting politely. Minutes after flattening Mauricio Ruffy with a first-round elbow at UFC 331, the Armenian-born contender unloaded on lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, accusing him of ducking the obvious fight.
"He never tell my name, so he's scared, and he knows he wanted Ruffy to knock me out so it means like he's trying to avoid me," Tsarukyan said at the post-fight press conference in Los Angeles. He then predicted exactly how the stall would play out: "He's going to try to call out Ilia Topuria or tell like, 'I want $15 million for Arman Tsarukyan or I'm retired.'"
The callout has teeth. Tsarukyan has been the consensus number-one contender at 155 pounds for the better part of two years. He earned a title shot by beating Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in 2024, only to withdraw from his January 2025 shot at then-champion Islam Makhachev due to injury. Since then the title has changed hands and Tsarukyan has been left circling the outside.
Dana White seemed sympathetic but noncommittal after the event. "He's completely flipped everything, turned it around, and he could not be in a better position now," White said of Tsarukyan. But on the Gaethje matchup specifically, he hedged: "I don't know. Yeah, we'll see. We don't know what Gaethje's thinking yet."
Gaethje has publicly stated he does not plan to compete again until 2027. With Ilia Topuria also cleared for a return, the lightweight title picture is crowded with options and short on confirmed dates.
Arman predicting Gaethje will either call out Topuria or ask for $15 million and retire is funny because it is probably going to happen. Gaethje has said he is not fighting until 2027. Topuria is cleared. The UFC loves a rematch with a storyline. Arman can see the stall coming from a mile away and he is trying to shame it out of existence before it starts.
I do not think Justin is scared of anybody. He has never been scared of anybody. But not saying Arman's name when Arman has been the obvious contender for two years is a choice, and champions who make that choice usually have a reason. Six straight wins and a first-round elbow should end the debate.
Dana saying we will see is Dana keeping his options open, which is what worries me. If the belt sits until 2027, put an interim strap on the line in December. Arman has waited long enough, and he did not have to withdraw from this one.
