Tsarukyan says UFC will tell him at end of November if Gaethje fights him

Arman Tsarukyan says the UFC told him he'll learn at the end of November whether he gets a title fight with Justin Gaethje. He said it in an interview with Helen Yee, posted on X by Red Corner MMA and reported by Heavy on Monday, October 26.

"They told me they're going to let me know at the end of November," Tsarukyan said. The UFC hasn't confirmed that, and Gaethje hasn't responded.

Tsarukyan also accused the champion of avoiding him:

"Someone is trying to duck me. Justin Gaethje. Now he's talking about retirement."

He expects the UFC either to pay Gaethje "so much money that he's going to fight," or to see him retire. If the belt is vacated, he wants "Paddy, Ilia, or the winner of Oliveira vs. Lopes," according to MMA Sucka. He'd also fight Alexander Volkanovski for a vacant title, calling him "a tough opponent, but he's a little bit old now" (MMA Sucka).

His accounts haven't fully matched. In an interview with Ariel Helwani, reported by MMA Sucka on October 23, he said the UFC had told him "what day it's going to be and where": "Beginning of next year. In America." On Gaethje, he said: "Me personally, Justin. They told me it's not going to happen." It isn't clear which interview was recorded first.

Gaethje's side

"Ducking" is Tsarukyan's word. Gaethje, 37, has pointed to injuries. He told the MightyCast podcast: "I have a deep bone bruise in my knee; I can't punch with my hand still." MMA Sucka reported it on September 12, adding that he's on a 180-day medical suspension and has said he won't fight again in 2026.

On Demetrious Johnson's YouTube channel, Gaethje said Tsarukyan has "been doing so much to not fight for the title," MMA Junkie reported on September 9. He claimed Tsarukyan pulled out of the January 2025 UFC 311 title fight with Islam Makhachev because "he wasn't going to make weight." He then added that he was "totally speculating." Tsarukyan withdrew citing a back injury.

His manager, Ali Abdelaziz, told MMA Junkie: "2027, we will see Justin Gaethje fight." MMA Sucka reported the comments on August 6, along with his condition that it be a big fight. ESPN's Brett Okamoto has reported that Gaethje hasn't guaranteed he'll fight again at all (Bleacher Report).

How they got here

Gaethje won the interim belt by beating Paddy Pimblett on decision at UFC 324 on January 24 (Cageside Press). On June 14 at the White House, he took the undisputed title when Ilia Topuria's corner stopped the fight after four rounds (POST Wrestling). It was his third shot at the lightweight title, after losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira.

He was the underdog both times, closing at +200 against Pimblett and +350 against Topuria, according to our records. Since mid-2020, when our odds begin, he has won six of nine fights with closing odds. The prices pointed to fewer than four wins.

Tsarukyan (24-3, 11-2 UFC) is on a six-fight win streak. His latest was a first-round knockout of Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 on September 19, an elbow and punches with seconds left (Heavy). He closed at -315 (CageOracle). Since mid-2020 he has been the favourite in all 10 of his UFC fights with closing odds and won nine, more than the prices implied.

The two have never fought, and there are no odds because the fight isn't booked.

What comes next

Featherweight champion Volkanovski retained his belt by second-round TKO of Movsar Evloev at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday (ESPN). Before the fight, he pitched a lightweight title fight with Gaethje, "and then we can both (retire)" (Heavy). Oliveira defends his BMF belt against Diego Lopes at UFC 335 in Las Vegas on December 12 (Cageside Press). We read the two interviews together as the UFC holding an early-2027 slot for Tsarukyan, with the opponent depending on Gaethje. We think the November answer is more likely to settle who Tsarukyan faces than to book Gaethje. One of his named options, the Oliveira–Lopes winner, won't be known until December 12.