Arman Tsarukyan believes he already had his moment lined up. Instead of fighting for gold, the lightweight contender found himself watching from the outside.
Despite sitting at the top of the division and being widely viewed as the next man in line, Tsarukyan was not selected for the interim lightweight championship bout scheduled for UFC 324. With questions swirling about the decision, the 29 year old finally addressed the situation and shared what he says was told to him directly by UFC officials.
Speaking during an appearance with streamer Adin Ross, Tsarukyan claimed the promotion made a deliberate call to keep him off its first ever Paramount card.
“I was supposed to fight for the title, and then they said, ‘You’re too dangerous to put you on the first card on Paramount because of the headbutt, pull out, beating up fans,’” Tsarukyan said. “They told me I had to wait. What can I do? I’ll just wait. I know the belt will be mine. I work every day for it. It is what it is.”
Why the UFC Hit Pause
Tsarukyan’s past year has been anything but smooth. A late withdrawal from UFC 311 disrupted plans and reportedly frustrated matchmakers. Not long after, a headbutt involving Dan Hooker added another layer of controversy. UFC leadership has also not forgotten earlier incidents, including an altercation with a fan during UFC 300 and a prior confrontation with King Green at a host hotel in 2023.
UFC CEO Dana White recently acknowledged that the headbutt incident factored heavily into why Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett were selected instead for the interim title matchup.
Taken together, Tsarukyan’s recent history appears to have pushed the promotion toward a safer choice for its debut Paramount broadcast.
Arman Tsarukyan says the UFC told him he can’t fight on the first Paramount card because he’s ‘too dangerous’ 😭
“They said ‘you’re too dangerous to put you on the first card on Paramount because headbutt, pull out, beating fans’.”
(via @adinross) pic.twitter.com/pa4biM7Ied
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) January 10, 2026
With no immediate return to the Octagon scheduled, Tsarukyan has kept himself busy outside of MMA. He recently competed in Real American Freestyle wrestling, where he faced former four time NCAA Division I All American Lance Palmer.
The result was decisive. Tsarukyan controlled the match from the opening exchange and secured a 10 to 0 technical fall, reminding observers that his grappling remains elite even while his UFC future remains on hold.
For now, Tsarukyan appears resigned to waiting for another opportunity, even if it means taking an extra step to earn back trust from the promotion. Whether that comes through another contender fight or continued dominance in crossover competition remains to be seen.
What is clear is that Tsarukyan still views the championship as inevitable. As he put it himself, the work continues, even if the timeline has changed.
