Arman Tsarukyan appears to be downplaying his role as backup fighter for the UFC White House main event. UFC CEO Dana White recently appointed Tsarukyan as the official reserve for the lightweight title unification bout between champion Ilia Topuria and interim titleholder Justin Gaethje, scheduled to headline UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on June 14th.
This designation seemed like a positive development for Tsarukyan, who has been in a holding pattern for the past two years despite being a top contender in the lightweight division, with only two fights during this period while awaiting a title shot.
However, the 29-year-old Armenian fighter has indicated he does not intend to fulfill his duties as a backup for the White House event.
While Tsarukyan has been less active in the Octagon, he has remained busy with Real American Freestyle (RAF) wrestling events. Last Saturday, he achieved a dominant technical fall victory over Keelon Jimison at RAF 09, marking his fifth appearance for the promotion since January. He is now scheduled to face former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson at RAF 10 on June 13th, the day before the UFC White House card.
During the pre-fight press conference for RAF 09, Tsarukyan explicitly stated his intention to prioritize his wrestling commitment over weighing in for the UFC event on June 14th, believing the main event fighters will proceed with their bout and he will eventually get his title opportunity.
โI have wrestling on June 13, we will see,โ Arman Tsarukyan said. โIโm a backup, but everything is going good, there are two weeks left, so I think theyโre [Topuria and Gaethje] going to fight, and Iโm going to wait for my chanceโฆ Iโm going to do RAF.โ
Following his win against Jimison, Tsarukyan was also announced for another significant wrestling match against former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington at RAF 11 on July 18th.
Arman Tsarukyan’s last UFC fight was in November at UFC Doha, where he submitted Dan Hooker in the second round. He is currently on a five-fight winning streak and holds a 10-2 record in the UFC.
English Translation:
Arman Tsarukyan is seemingly not prioritizing his role as the backup fighter for the UFC White House main event. UFC CEO Dana White recently named Tsarukyan as the official reserve for the lightweight title unification bout between champion Ilia Topuria and interim titleholder Justin Gaethje, set to headline UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on June 14th.
This announcement appeared to be a positive step for Tsarukyan, who has been in a state of limbo for the past two years. Despite remaining one of the division’s top contenders, he has only competed twice during this period while awaiting a long-anticipated title shot.
However, the 29-year-old Armenian fighter has indicated he has no intention of fulfilling his backup duties for the UFC White House card.
While Tsarukyan has been relatively inactive inside the Octagon, he has kept busy competing under the Real American Freestyle (RAF) banner. Last Saturday, he secured a dominant technical fall victory over Keelon Jimison at RAF 09, marking his fifth appearance for the promotion since January. He is now slated to face former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson at RAF 10 on June 13th, just one day before the UFC White House event.
During the pre-fight press conference for RAF 09 last week, Tsarukyan made it clear that he does not plan to weigh in for the June 14th event and intends to honor his wrestling commitment instead, believing his services as a backup fighter will not be required at the White House.
โI have wrestling on June 13, we will see,โ Arman Tsarukyan said. โIโm a backup, but everything is going good, there are two weeks left, so I think theyโre [Topuria and Gaethje] going to fight, and Iโm going to wait for my chanceโฆ Iโm going to do RAF.โ
Following his victory over Jimison, Tsarukyan was also announced for another high-profile wrestling matchup, as he is set to face former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington at RAF 11 on July 18th.
Arman Tsarukyan last competed inside the Octagon at UFC Doha in November, where he submitted Dan Hooker in the second round. He is currently on a five-fight win streak and holds a 10-2 record in the UFC.
