No. 2-ranked UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan could have a busy schedule inside the octagon in the coming months. After his RAF outing against Colby Covington this weekend, the Armenian is going to fly to Vegas on Monday to make his next UFC bout official.
During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, the 29-year-old claimed that he already has a date and opponent ready and needs to sign the contract to make things official, which he will do once he arrives in Vegas.
“We put pen to paper Monday, and that’s it. It’s gonna be a good fight, exciting fight, and the best place to fight for me.”
Tsarukyan is expected to run it back with BMF titleholder Charles Oliveira soon, and his comments suggest that he is going to Vegas to sign the contract for this heavily rumored bout. During the same interview, Tsarukyan also added:
“This year, 2 fights, 2 belts.”
Check out Arman Tsarukyan’s comments below:
Meanwhile, “Ahalkalakets” also suggested that Justin Gaethje should vacate the UFC lightweight championship, after which he and Paddy Pimblett can fight for the belt.
Check out Arman Tsarukyan’s comments below:
Arman Tsarukyan seems ready to dethrone Charles Oliveira and then Justin Gaethje
As the top lightweight contender, Arman Tsarukyan is also expected to challenge newly minted 155-pound titleholder Justin Gaethje next. Gaethje’s manager has also teased that his next bout will be against an opponent whom “The Highlight” has never faced before, potentially Tsarukyan.
However, since Gaethje has already engaged in 2 back-to-back slugfests this year, he plans to defend his belt in 2027.
Tsarukyan, on the other hand, last competed at UFC Qatar in 2025, where he submitted Dan Hooker in the second round.
The comments posted above suggest that the Armenian wants to dethrone Charles Oliveira to win the BMF title before challenging Justin Gaethje in a winner-takes-all showdown, with the BMF belt and the undisputed lightweight championship both on the line, something that Oliveira had previously suggested while calling out “The Highlight.”
