“Well, it’s not about getting back in the good graces… [Tsarukyan] had the opportunity to fight for the title and didn’t make weight.” Dana White had some speculations to make about Arman Tsarukyan’s short-notice pullout at UFC 311. The #2 lightweight contender had the golden chance to redeem himself and face the former lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, once again. But a back injury forced him out of the fight. Needless to say, this was a major upset for the UFC CEO. And at the UFC 317 post-fight press conference, White claimed that Tsarukyan pulled out because he failed to make weight.
The MMA world assumed the UFC head honcho’s words to be absolutely true, and the fanbase began bashing the Armenian fighter. However, the reality was completely different. According to the famed MMA reporter, Ariel Helwani, it was a mistake on White’s part. But do you know what Tsarukyan had to say about?
When Helwani cast his doubts about White’s words during a recent episode of The Ariel Helwani Show, featuring ‘Ahalkalakets,’ the lightweight fighter said, “Yeah, he just forgot about… I mean, he got a lot of fighters. That’s why he forgot, maybe that it was issue with my back, not my back pain.” But the MMA journalist had one more doubt about the entire situation–Were the big guns at the UFC angry about Tsarukyan’s pullout?
Well, not really! ‘Ahalkalakets’ came out clean about the online speculations, along with the revelations of the fights that the UFC offered him. And the list included a battle against Justin Gaethje. He said, “No. They were not mad. They just called me in one month or two months and offered me a fight for the Gaethje for short notice. And then they offered me main event in Abu Dhabi, and then they offered me back-up. So, if they were mad, they wouldn’t give me fights, you know.”
MMA: UFC 300 – Oliveira vs Tsarukyan Apr 13, 2024 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Arman Tsarukyan blue gloves reacts after defeating Charles Oliveira not pictured during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Las Vegas T-Mobile Arena Nevada USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarkxJ.xRebilasx 20240413_mcd_su5_136
When Arman Tsarukyan made weight as the back-up fighter for UFC 317, Dana White was pretty content. Talking to Helen Yee about it, he showed appreciation for the lightweight contender’s efforts. But it was not enough to get him a title shot. When Yee asked if Tsarukyan was next in line to fight the winner of Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira, White simply responded, “No. It’s a good step in the right direction. Let’s put it that way.” And as expected, the Armenian wasn’t happy with the speculations at all.
Arman Tsarukyan fires back at Dana White’s mistake
During a recent conversation with Daniel Cormier on the Check-In Show, Tsarukyan came out clean regarding the speculations that Dana White stirred up at the UFC 317 press conference. The 28-year-old claimed, “No, I have never ever like issue with my weight. And to make the weight is not a hard deal for me, especially, how you can miss the weight if you’ve been waiting for that fight like 6 years. And like I knew about that fight before 4 months. Like you can bring your body, like till that day where you’re good and it’s not 4 weeks or 2 weeks you to go jump in on a diet and do a lot of cardio.”
Tsarukyan revealed that he had met the doctors and had his back checked. He was advised to get an MRI done, which would help him make the right decision. And the doctors were supposed to let White know all about it. He continued, “And Dana, like until nowadays, they think I have a issue with my weight cut, but never, and I’m professional…”
Cormier soon realized his mistake and admitted that he was wrong for repeating that Tsarukyan ‘missed weight’ at the UFC 317 weigh-in show. His excuse? It was all on Dana White. DC admitted that he had a big voice in the MMA world. But White’s voice was even louder. And when the UFC CEO said something, it’s usually treated as the gospel. But what do you think of Tsarukyan’s UFC 311 debacle?
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