Justin Gaethje Facing Ilia Topuria is Not Fair, Says Arman Tsarukyan Offering Title Shot Pathway

Justin Gaethje contemplated some hard choices if he's left out of lightweight title picture; #2 lightweight Arman Tsarukyan proposes a title eliminator.

Justin Gaethje Facing Ilia Topuria is Not Fair, Says Arman Tsarukyan Offering Title Shot Pathway

Arman Tsarukyan says Justin Gaethje has to beat him for title shot (Source: X)

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Recent times have seen Justin Gaethje make a case for a lightweight title shot, more than ever. A winner of 3 out of his last 4, ‘Highlight’ thinks he has paid his dues and deserves a shot. More so, because he had such a promise from the previous champ’s team. Arman Tsarukyan is here to prove otherwise.

The No.5-ranked lightweight longstay is stumping hard to take the challenge to the new champ, Ilia Topuria. Justin Gaethje has said that the brass can’t keep using him anymore for ‘entertaining’ and intermediate fights, and he’d be on a hard downer if it’s not Topuria next.

The human ‘Highlight’ has been a company man and a 9X “Fight of the Night” post-fight honors winner; he answers summons, but no more. After scoring a near-finish of old rival Rafael Fiziev in their UFC 313 PPV rematch, Gaethje wants his dues. However, #2 lightweight Arman Tsarukyan says it’s this very point that takes him out of the running.

Of course, I want Islam [next]. But like right now, uh, it makes sense…to fight with uh, Gaethje, because he’s coming, coming…[off]He just beat number 11 or 12 Fiziev. He, ah, doesn’t deserve title fight [based on that]…That’s 100% because he lost just…[before] to Holloway…He beat on short notice. He beat uh, the…beat Fiziev on short notice, sure… Fiziev knew about the fight five days and came and uh, he won him barely decision. And now he’s talking about title fight. Uh, it’s not fair. And that’s why I think he got to beat me to deserve fight for the title.

Arman Tsarukyan said (🎥: YT/KingOfViolence)

ESPN post-fight desk analyst/coach Din Thomas said that the optics of flatlining against Max Holloway worked against his title chances. ‘Ahalkalakets’ promoted much the same, saying it worked against Gaethje’s profile as a fighter. Gaethje was the 155-pound top contender at the time, and if anything, after domination over another recent title challenger, Holloway deserves that attention more.

Meanwhile, Gaethje logged a win against Fiziev, which he pulled off on short notice; Tsarukyan himself has a decision win over No.4-ranked Charles Oliveira, a recent title contender against Topuria. Until his UFC 311 weigh-in pullout, the Armenian himself was top contender for gold.

Hence, while Gaethje has doubled down on retiring if not fighting for gold, Tsarukyan has said he needs to fight more ranked contenders and top-5 names. Probably even him. After his pullout, the Team ATT lightweight has been willing to work up the ladder for title contention and Gaethje would make a good case.

Highlight might be out of options here anyways. A top name in the industry thinks such logistics, rankings, demand for a crackling rivalry, and PPV draws would thwart his retirement ultimatum.

UFC Analyst unsure if Justin Gaethje’s retirement ultimatum hits the mark for a title shot

Gaethje has won three of his past four, with the lone exception of the UFC 300 PPV knockout loss for the “BMF”. Gaethje thinks he tracks for the undisputed gold otherwise, and his reliability should earn him that top spot.

Justin Gaethje advancing on retirement threats might not convince UFC on title shot
Justin Gaethje advancing on retirement threats might not convince UFC on title shot (Source: X)

The fighter has acknowledged Arman Tsarukyan makes the cut; as does Holloway after UFC 318 and with his PPV title history with Topuria. However, he wants to be in the running as well after doing the UFC Execs a solid on multiple occasions..

Team Justin Gaethe and fight rep Ali Abdelaziz have doubled down that he’d retire if not fight for gold. UFC CEO Dana White has shunted such ‘whacky’ terms, saying if he thinks so, maybe he should (retire). Close friend and UFC play-by-play broadcaster Daniel Cormier has advised against such a course.

It sounds [to me] like he’s more than willing now to stand by that and be done…that would suck; MMA is better when Justin Gaethje is fighting. We just had to watch Dustin Poirier retire last weekend and that absolutely sucked…[Now] We have to walk away from Justin Gaethje, too? Justin seems very, very stern in the idea that if he has to fight Paddy Pimblett, and that’s the only option, he’s not going to do it…I don’t know that it’s going to make the UFC say, ‘We have to give Justin Gaethje a title fight.’ I don’t know that they’re going to do that, especially when you go through all the things that Arman has a case, Paddy has a case.

Daniel Cormier said on his Official YT Channel

With a SOTY contender and his third-round TKO over Michael Chandler included, even Paddy Pimblett makes the case. Given his rivalry and charged-up face-to-face with Topuria, he’d make a far better pay-per-view draw here than the respectful Gaethje.

In a recent KickStream media outing, Topuria said that either Pimblett or Gaethje would probably get a title nod from UFC brass. However, Cormier thinks a win over Fiziev and pumping up constant retirement ultimatums would not do Gaethje any favors over the others.

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