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Justin Gaethje claims Arman Tsarukyan blew his title shot because ‘he wasn’t going to make weight so he dropped out’

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7 hours ago

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Justin Gaethje claims Arman Tsarukyan blew his title shot because ‘he wasn’t going to make weight so he dropped out’

Justin Gaethje is still awaiting his first assignment as undisputed UFC lightweight champion but the contenders are starting to stack up with hopes of getting the first shot at him when he's ready to compete again in 2027.

One of the most popular choices is Arman Tsarukyan, who is set to face Mauricio Ruffy in a pivotal lightweight fight taking place at UFC 331 in Los Angeles on Sept. 19. While most believe that Tsarukyan already did enough to get that shot at gold, Gaethje argues that the 29-year-old contender has no one to blame but himself for being stuck on the outside looking in when it comes to a UFC championship.

Tsarukyan was scheduled to battle for the belt at the start of 2025 when he got matched up with then champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 331. Sadly, disaster struck just days away from the fight with Tsarukyan suffered a back injury and he was pulled off the event and replaced by Renato Moicano.

But Gaethje doesn't buy that story and that's why he believes Tsarukyan has been stuck as the odd man out when it comes to the lightweight title.

“We all make our own bed,†Gaethje told Demetrious Johnson on his podcast. “He was going to fight Islam Makhachev for the belt. The truth is he wasn't going to make weight so he dropped out. If it was his back and there was a medical report on paper with the UFC, then he wouldn't be suffering like this.

“There's no way if he was truly to hurt his back cutting weight, how the f*ck do you do that for one. Maybe his body was shutting down and he just couldn't make weight, which happens.â€

That said, Gaethje expects Tsarukyan to get a win in his upcoming fight at UFC 331 to potentially position him yet again for a shot at the belt.

“Most likely, Arman's going to take him down,†Gaethje said. “I hope Arman gets hit hard. It would be fun to see. I don't hate Arman. I'd rather him get hit hard than get on top of [Ruffy] and win.â€

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MMA

Between the Links: Salahdine Parnasse shines, MVP’s UFC exit, UFC 332 reveal

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6 hours ago

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September 10, 2026

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Between the Links: Salahdine Parnasse shines, MVP’s UFC exit, UFC 332 reveal

This past Saturday was the Salahdine Parnasse show as he ran over Dan Hooker in less than a round in the main event of UFC Paris. Following the victory, not only did Parnasse call out Max Holloway, but Daniel Cormier also called it the best UFC debut ever. Will Parnasse get his wish, and is Cormier right about how impressive the former two-division KSW champ's debut was?

On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel recaps UFC Paris, and discuss the impact of Parnasse's incredible performance, along with Michael Page's final UFC fight. Additionally, topics include the UFC 332 lineup and main event reveal between Natalia Silva and Wang Cong foe the undisputed women's flyweight title during this past Saturday's broadcast and the total amount of negativity that has come from it, Valentina Shevchenko no longer as champion, Noche UFC, Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn, and much more.

Join MMA Fighting's Mike Heck and Jed Meshew as they answer your questions all show long.

Watch the show live at Noon ET / 9 a.m. PT in the video above.

If you missed the show live, you can still watch above, or listen to the podcast version, which can be found below and on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your pods.

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MMA

Ryan Garcia explains why he skipped pre-fight faceoff with Conor Benn

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8 hours ago

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September 10, 2026

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Ryan Garcia explains why he skipped pre-fight faceoff with Conor Benn

Ryan Garcia skipped a pre-fight faceoff with opponent Conor Benn and there were all sorts of questions about why it didn't happen.

Was Garcia blowing off his contractually obligated responsibilities to promote the fight? Was there a bigger issue at work that made Garcia skip the faceoff. Well, it turns out it was nothing that dramatic.

In fact, Garcia just flat out didn't want to be there so he skipped the entire event.

“I wasn't there because I didn't want to be†Garcia said during media day on Wednesday. “I mean look we got a faceoff at the press conference and then at the weigh-ins and then a final faceoff literally in the ring when the ref's giving you instructions.

“I've been doing this so long. I had fight weeks in Vegas before and I've never had to do a faceoff on Tuesday or Wednesday. I've never had to do that. I have a routine to do and it's just something I didn't want to do.â€

While Garcia was missing in action, Benn was there waiting on an opponent who never actually showed up.d

As much as Garcia would love to claim it was some great bit of mental warfare to get at Benn, that just wasn't his actual intention. Still if the side effect of missing the faceoff irritated Benn, then it was a happy accident and Garcia is happy to embrace that.

“It was funny seeing him staring at himself,†Garcia said with laugh. “But yeah, I mean I don't know if it affected him. I don't really care. I'm glad that people got a kick out of it.â€

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Jean Silva thinks Movsar Evloev will dethrone Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 333

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8 hours ago

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September 10, 2026

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Jean Silva thinks Movsar Evloev will dethrone Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 333
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UFC featherweight contender Jean Silva has backed Movsar Evloev to dethrone Alexander Volkanovski in the UFC 333 main event.

At UFC 333, Movsar Evloev will finally get the opportunity he has been waiting for when he challenges Alexander Volkanovski, one of the greatest featherweights of all time, for the title.

RELATED: Movsar Evloev issues a warning to Alexander Volkanovski heading into UFC 333

A lot of fans and pundits believe Movsar Evloev stands a real chance of beating ‘The Great'. He certainly isn't the most exciting fighter on the roster, but when it comes to championship bouts at this level, all that matters is getting the job done.

In a recent interview, Jean Silva, who faces Jose Delgado in the main event of Noche UFC this weekend, had the following to say about Movsar Evloev's chances.

Silva backs Movsar Evloev at UFC 333

“Is there someone else to fight instead of me?†Silva told MMA Fighting. “Then I'm next.â€

“I think Evloev wins,†Silva said. “It'll be me and him. But if Evloev pulls out, then it's me and Volkanovski [at UFC 333]. It doesn't matter. I'm next.â€

“He's (Volkanovski) not 100 percent in everything, but what he does is absurd,†Silva said. “He sticks to a strategy, sticks to the game plan. He knows how to fight, he knows what needs to be done, and he has knockout power. Evloev doesn't have knockout power. The first hand that gets in, he's going down.â€

Quotes via MMA Fighting

Movsar may not be the most exciting fighter in the world, but he definitely has a solid chance of becoming the new champion at 145 pounds when you consider his style and his unbeaten run in the promotion.

Who are you backing for success in the UFC 333 main event? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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