Dana White breaks silence on UFC’s disappointment in Arman Tsarukyan: “There’s a lot of conspiracies theories…”
UFC CEO Dana White shut down conspiracy theories surrounding top lightweight Arman Tsarukyan after UFC 311 pullout.
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Dana White talks about Arman Tsarukyan and other conspiracy theories (via Imago)
Arman Tsarukyan had the opportunity to become the new UFC lightweight champion at UFC 311. However, during the weight cut, the fighter struggled with a back injury which forced him to pull out. As a punishment, Dana White asked him to prove his title contention again, raising a few doubts in the MMA community.
Injuries in MMA are very common and many experts couldn’t understand why White gave Tsarukyan such a harsh punishment. On top of that, the contender, instead of challenging, immediately accepted the decision. Many made theories about White being angry at the Armenian and in a recent presser, the CEO gave an appropriate clarification.
I know there’s a lot of conspiracy theories out there about this. You’ll just have to watch and see how this plays out.
Dana White via Power Slap presser
Tsarukyan was really excited to fight for the lightweight title and had developed a secret weapon to beat Islam Makhachev. Given the Dagestani’s dominance, fans had higher expectations about the wrestling threat than Tsarukyan possessed. As a result, when White announced that the fighter was no longer the top candidate, many fans were disappointed.
These conspiracy theories have also suggested that Tsarukyan’s relationship with White is not top-notch. The Armenian fighter had previously rejected UFC’s idea of fighting Makhachev at UFC 302, and now the last-minute pullout. However, on the surface, everything looks great.
Is Arman Tsarukyan a company man?
Arman Tsarukyan does have a story that is different from most of the fighters on the UFC roster. The #1 ranked fighter comes from a rich background, and doesn’t necessarily need to fight for money. Dana White was also surprised to see Tsarukyan cruising around in expensive cars not knowing his privileged background.
Tsarukyan accepted the punishment without any problem as he was ready to prove himself again. He isn’t shying away from fighting other top contenders for the spot. In a recent interview, the Armenian fighter shared how his relationship with UFC was after the injury.
One doctor and Hunter (Campbell) came to my house. They were in my house, trying to do our best to bring me to the fight and unfortunately, it didn’t work. I talk to Hunter and he was like ‘Alright, no worries…we will take care of you.
Arman Tsarukyan via The JAXXON Podcast
Tsarukyan has already called out Charles Oliveira for a potential five-round title eliminator. Other top lightweights such as Michael Chandler are also eager to share the octagon with the Armenian. It would be interesting to see how the UFC tackles this situation in the lightweight division.
Related: Arman Tsarukyan Net Worth, UFC contract, Endorsements and House
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Ameetosh Dash
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