Dana White has confirmed Arman Tsarukyan as the official backup fighter for Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250, giving the UFC lightweight title fight a dangerous emergency option if the main event falls apart. Tsarukyan had already been pushing for the role, and now the UFC has put him directly behind the Topuria vs. Gaethje matchup.
White made the announcement during a stream with Nina Drama after being asked about Tsarukyan’s next fight.
“So somebody said ask about Arman’s next fight,” White said. “Arman is the backup for the White House fight. If anything happens to that fight, Arman is in there. So … there you go.”
That puts Tsarukyan one step away from a title opportunity without having to book a separate bout. Topuria is the current UFC lightweight champion and former featherweight champion, while Gaethje brings a 27-5 record, an interim UFC lightweight title run, and enough knockout danger to make any lightweight fight feel like a car crash with gloves.
Here’s the announcement from Nina Drama:
BREAKING NEWS: Dana White announced that Arman Tsarukyan is officially the backup fighter for Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House
Via Nina Drama (Kick livestream) https://t.co/USwSSflvsU pic.twitter.com/Y4eGekCJPa
— Nina-Marie Daniele (@Ninadrama) May 8, 2026
White Praises Tsarukyan’s Push Back Into The Mix
Tsarukyan enters this spot with a 23-3 MMA record and a No. 2 UFC lightweight ranking. He has not been quiet since withdrawing from his scheduled UFC 311 title fight against Islam Makhachev, staying visible through grappling matches, public callouts, and a steady run of fight-week chaos.
White credited him for making people care again.
“The run that he’s been on has been impressive,” White said. “That’s what you do. When you end up sideways and you do some dumb s–t, get out there and make people want to see you. And he has definitely done that. That’s a fact.”
He lost a title shot, took heat from the UFC boss, then somehow turned side quests into leverage. The man has been booked for more grappling work, including a Tony Ferguson wrestling match at RAF 10, but the UFC backup role obviously sits above everything else.
Topuria and Gaethje have already faced off at the White House, and Tsarukyan now becomes the insurance policy for one of the strangest title-fight settings the UFC has ever built. If both men make it to fight night, Tsarukyan waits. If one drops out, he gets the kind of title shot he has been chasing since the UFC 311 mess.
Watch Topuria and Gaethje face off below:
👀 Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje face off for the first time in front of the White House.
🎥 @ufc pic.twitter.com/AlMbEk14Ko
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) May 6, 2026
