Arman Tsarukyan currently finds himself at a critical crossroads — eager for a fight and trying to get back in Dana White & Co.’s good graces . The trouble reportedly began earlier this year when the UFC granted ‘Ahalkalakets’ a title shot against then-champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311. But just days before the bout, he withdrew due to a medical issue — a move that not only jeopardized the event but also left the promotion frustrated. According to insiders, the UFC brass didn’t take the late pullout lightly.
The message was loud and clear: If the Armenian wants another crack at UFC gold, he’ll have to work his way back into title contention — on the the Dana White & UFC’s terms. It’s now been over six months since that drama unfolded, and Arman Tsarukyan still doesn’t have a confirmed opponent. He did, however, step in as the backup fighter at UFC 317 for the vacant lightweight title clash.
Now, reports suggest he’s open to playing that same role again at UFC 318. In the meantime, the Armenian has caught the attention of Dan Hooker, who may be eyeing him as a potential comeback opponent.
Dan Hooker calls out Arman Tsarukyan and his camp
Though Arman Tsarukyan has made a push to serve as the backup fighter for the upcoming BMF title fight between Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway, the move still awaits a final nod from the UFC. For now, ‘Ahalkalakets’ has turned his attention to another top lightweight: #7-ranked Dan Hooker. The Kiwi striker has been out of action since February due to a broken hand that forced him to withdraw from a scheduled clash with Justin Gaethje at UFC 313.
Their rivalry dates back to March, when Arman Tsarukyan threw the first jab on social media, writing, “big mouth, glass hand.” Since then, the tension has only grown. Just last week, the two reignited their online feud — with the Armenian standout calling Dan Hooker a “b-tch,” and ‘The Hangman’ firing back by mocking Tsarukyan’s stalled title aspirations despite his high ranking.
Fueling the drama further, Arman Tsarukyan appeared on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani last week to discuss the two matchups the UFC had offered him following the UFC 311 fallout. Interestingly, he didn’t mention Hooker’s name — a detail that didn’t go unnoticed. Speaking on Submission Radio, Dan Hooker addressed the snub directly and didn’t hold back,
“He goes on Ariel Helwani and just—Ariel doesn’t even mention my name, which he would have loved to. So that means his management team would have had to go to Ariel before the interview and say, ‘Don’t bring up Dan Hooker.’ So it’s like, don’t fucking take shots at me when you continually just lose… That’s funny. You’re the number one contender that has to wait. You have to wait.”
But Arman Tsarukyan isn’t just trading shots with Dan Hooker. He’s also set his sights on reigning lightweight champion Ilia Topuria — signaling that his ambitions stretch beyond a single title fight. In recent comments, the Russian-Armenian star suggested he’s eyeing three potential targets: the BMF belt, a bout with ‘The Hangman’, and the undisputed lightweight crown — in that order. However, UFC veteran Chael Sonnen has offered a different perspective.
Chael Sonnen suspects a backstage deal between UFC brass and Tsarukyan
Arman Tsarukyan might have money, but he’s made it clear he’s not chasing the spotlight like Conor McGregor. Despite that, he brought his entire team to Las Vegas for UFC 317 — just to serve as the backup fighter — a move that raised plenty of eyebrows. UFC veteran Chael Sonnen questioned whether ‘Ahalkalakets’ would really spend that kind of money to fly from Russia to the U.S. for a fight that had, at best, a 50/50 chance of happening.
After Dana White openly shut down talks of booking Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett, his skepticism only intensified. The bout got a lot of attention when Joe Rogan brought Pimblett into the cage for a faceoff in White’s absence, which the UFC president ultimately blamed on Rogan. As if it weren’t enough, Arman Tsarukyan even made weight for UFC 317 as the official backup. Sonnen said he felt sorry for him and thought there might be more going on behind the scenes:
“My guess was that a deal had already been made. A promise had already been made to Tsarukyan, who has now gone through two training camps for a title fight and got no title fight, who has shown up and been licensed in two different jurisdictions, paid his managers, spent the time doing the travel away from home, fingers crossed and no title fights.”
Given everything he’s endured, do you think Arman Tsarukyan has earned the next shot at Ilia Topuria and the lightweight crown? Drop your thoughts below.
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