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Justin Gaethje surprisingly supports Arman Tsarukyan's long wait for UFC title shot

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Justin Gaethje surprisingly supports Arman Tsarukyan's long wait for UFC title shot

UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje believes Arman Tsarukyan deserves a title shot on merit, but agrees with the UFC's hesitancy.

Justin Gaethje pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history when he finished Ilia Topuria by TKO earlier this year at UFC Freedom 250. After a long road back to an undisputed title fight, Gaethje handed Topuria his first loss and left the defending champion physically unrecognizable.

Next, Gaethje will decide whether or not he'll hang up his gloves or return to the Octagon to defend the UFC lightweight title. If he opts to return to the cage, Gaethje will likely fight the Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy winner, although a rematch with Topuria is also possible.

Tsarukyan has fought just once since his short-notice withdrawal from his fight against Islam Makhachev at UFC 311. After withdrawing due to injury just hours before UFC 311, Tsarukyan returned to the win column by submitting Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar last year.

Many fans and pundits continue to question why the UFC is hesitant to commit to Tsarukyan earning the next lightweight title shot, but Gaethje understands the apprehension.

Justin Gaethje: Arman Tsarukyan ‘made his bed' in last-minute UFC 311 withdrawal

In a recent appearance on the MightyCast podcast, Gaethje was asked about Tsarukyan's long wait for another title shot and whether or not the UFC is justified in postponing it.

“He's also been doing so much to not fight for the title,†Gaethje said of Tsarukyan's title pursuit.

“Come on, we all make our own bed. He was going to fight Islam Makhachev for the belt, and he dropped out the night before.†(h/t MMA Junkie)

Tsarukyan and Ruffy will square off in a potential No. 1 contender fight later this month at UFC 331. If Tsarukyan is victorious, his long wait for Gaethje and the lightweight title could continue.

What is your prediction for the potential Justin Gaethje vs. Arman Tsarukyan fight? Share your thoughts in the comments!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


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Jake Paul, Logan Paul set to lead new fight competition reality show on Hulu, ESPN

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Jake Paul, Logan Paul set to lead new fight competition reality show on Hulu, ESPN

Jake Paul and Logan Paul are set to lead a new fight competition series for Hulu and ESPN with production expected to start sometime in 2027.

Here's the official synopsis for the series:

“From the hearts and minds of Jake and Logan Paul, this series is a ruthless competition where eliminations are not settled by a vote; they are settled by a fight. Split into rival teams, coached by two rival brothers, the fighters live and train together in the wild.

“But the battle really begins before the fight, because fighters choose the matchups, turning every alliance, every rivalry into a strategic weapon. Jake and Logan will send the losers of each fight home until just one man and one woman are left standing to claim victory.â€

As of now the series does not have an official title.

The fight competition series has actually been in the works for quite some time but now the Paul brothers bring that vision to life with a series that is set to air on both Hulu and ESPN.

As far as the fights go, athletes from MMA, boxing and even traditional martial arts are expected to participate and battle their way to victory on the show.

“This series takes everything we love about competitive combat and turns it into a high-stakes survival spectacle for today's audiences,†the Paul brothers said in a press release. “You choose your opponent, fight to stay, and have nowhere to hide.

“The fighter-first mentality is changing the industry; we can't wait to see who has what it takes.â€

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

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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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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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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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