Arman Tsarukyan is openly dismissive of Paddy Pimblett’s chances of earning a shot at the UFC lightweight championship, highlighting the disparity between his own accomplishments and Pimblett’s record.
The Armenian fighter, who returned to the octagon with a commanding submission over Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar, believes Topuria may be avoiding him while pursuing a matchup with Pimblett.
Tsarukyan Critiques Pimblett’s Record and UFC Standing
“No way at all,” Tsarukyan said to Daniel Cormier regarding Pimblett’s potential against Ilia Topuria. “How many people destroyed Michael Chandler? He’s 40 years old. He has six losses, two wins in the UFC, and a four-fight losing streak. He’s nobody. UFC tried to make him like Arturo Gatti. They wanted to make him like a superstar. He showed good fights, but he is not an elite fighter. There is levels.
Paddy cannot beat even Oliveira, cannot even beat Hooker, he cannot beat (Dustin) Poirier, he cannot beat (Justin) Gaethje, he cannot beat (Max) Holloway, he cannot beat me. If he’s going to beat even Gaethje, I’m going to say, ‘Yeah, this guy is good.’ He sucks. … Where’s Bobby Green and where’s grappling? My brother, he never trained MMA. I swear if they’re in a street fight, my brother will kill him so easy. Bobby Green is not a high-level fighter. Send him to Dagestan for two-three years.”
Tsarukyan’s criticism comes as Topuria has expressed interest in a fight with Pimblett if a bout against Islam Makhachev is not possible. Topuria captured the UFC lightweight title in June with a knockout over Charles Oliveira and has since positioned himself as a rising star in the division.
Arman Tsarukyan earned a title opportunity after defeating Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in April 2024. However, just before his scheduled fight against Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 in January, he withdrew due to a back injury. The veteran lightweight now looks to reassert himself in the title race while expressing skepticism about Pimblett’s readiness.
