Arman Tsarukyan Accused of Taking Shine Away from Khamzat Chimaev by Paddy Pimblett
Top lightweight Arman Tsarukyan gets slammed by Paddy Pimblett following UFC 319 appearance in the corner of Khamzat Chimaev.

Paddy Pimblett points out Arman Tsarukyan's plan to get screen time (via Imago/X)
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Last Saturday at UFC 319, Khamzat Chimaev became the new middleweight champion after dominant win over Dricus Du Plessis. The former champion struggled a lot and couldn’t do anything significant across all five grueling rounds. Chimaev was extremely clinical with his overall strategy, and he received massive support from his highly skilled team, including Arman Tsarukyan.
Tsarukyan is not only a teammate, but also a very close friend of Chimaev, often helping him prepare. Their relationship has strengthened with time as Tsarukyan regularly provides wrestling and striking support during fight camps, including UFC 319.
Tsarukyan represents American Top Team and Chimaev is settled in UAE, yet they still collaborate. After Chimaev’s win, the Armenian was pleased, but his lightweight rival, Paddy Pimblett, didn’t see it in a wholesome way. Pimblett watched the fight live, and as Tsarukyan came on the screen, he passed a sneaky remark.
Arman doing his best to get as much screen time while his mate wins the belt.
Paddy Pimblett via his YouTube Channel
Pimblett and Tsarukyan are currently engaged in a heated rivalry, with tensions escalating due to repeated verbal exchanges. The UK native has continuously mocked Tsarukyan, claiming he was born with a silver spoon and never experienced true struggle. In response, Tsarukyan fired back strongly, accusing Pimblett of receiving undeserved advantages and enjoying Dana White‘s privilege in the UFC.
Paddy Pimblett says that Arman was doing his best to get as much screen time as possible after Khamzat won the belt. 👀🫣
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) August 19, 2025
(via @PaddyTheBaddy ) pic.twitter.com/qOOI1sGkWF
He further stated that Pimblett’s popularity comes mainly from UFC’s promotional backing rather than his genuine skillset and fighting ability. Pimblett and Tsarukyan are both chasing a lightweight title shot, constantly questioning and undermining each other’s credentials. The UK native had a heated face-off with champion Ilia Topuria at UFC 317, strengthening his chances significantly.
On the other hand, Tsarukyan has relentlessly mocked Topuria, constantly provoking him in hopes of securing the next lightweight title shot. According to experts, Topuria could potentially prefer fighting Pimblett instead of Tsarukyan.
This is because many consider Armenian as the toughest stylistic matchup. At the same time, Topuria could cash in on PPV bonuses if a fight with popular Pimblett ever comes to fruition. Currently, UFC has not announced anything official, but the hype surrounding Topuria’s first title defense remains incredibly strong.
Arman Tsarukyan’s inputs on Khamzat Chimaev’s title win
Khamzat Chimaev fought Dricus Du Plessis with relentless dominance, controlling him for over 21 minutes and landing an incredible 529 significant strikes. Throughout the five rounds, Chimaev also attempted twelve takedowns, constantly keeping DDP on the back foot without allowing him to dictate.

Despite his overwhelming pressure, Chimaev wasn’t able to secure a finish. After the title fight, the new champion humbly credited Du Plessis for his incredible durability. The Chechen was known for taking unnecessary risks and being violent and ruining his cardio, but this time was different.
Chimaev remained extremely precise with his strategy, applying constant pressure until the final bell without losing composure or tactical discipline. In a recent interview, Arman Tsarukyan revealed he had advised the undefeated middleweight to maintain calm and avoid unnecessary pressure.
The plan for the fight was to wrestle, try not to get into exchanges. I told Khamzat right before the fight: You’re better everywhere than him. The only way you can lose is if you brawl with him and let your emotions take over. If you take a hit, don’t force things, don’t try to jump into a slugfest with him. Just outplay him technically.
Arman Tsarukyan via Adam Zubayraev
This fighting style wasn’t appreciated by many fans, who considered the bout boring and uninspiring. Supporters slammed him for excessive reliance on wrestling techniques, and the lack of heavy ground-and-pound. Some pointed out that legendary fighters like Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, and Khabib Nurmagomedov used to ruthlessly unleash strikes on the ground after securing a takedown.
However, numerous MMA experts supported Chimaev’s disciplined game plan, praising his ability to neutralize a dangerous champion across every round. Ultimately, the fight created divided opinions, highlighting the constant debate between wrestlers and strikers in the MMA scene.
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