Arman Tsarukyan does not see the UFC face to face after they tried to book him for a main event in July.
The best competition in the lightweight division has not fought since Tsarukyan withdrew from UFC 311, where he would be confronted in a Rematch De Champion, Islam Makhachev.
With people like Ilia Topuria who enters the division with Paddy Pimblett who runs the ranking, the 28-year-old has been lost to a certain extent in the Shuffle.
Tsarukyan returned to action on Karate Combat 54 on Friday evening, where he defeated Makasharip Zaynukov in an entry match before called Makhachev.
He has now revealed that while the UFC came to him with a fight, he struck it because he did not believe it corresponded to his current status on 155 pounds.
Arman Tsarukyan says he 'deserves better' after he has rejected the Abu Dhabi plans from UFC
In an interview with Sport24 after his Karate Combat victory, Arman Tsarukyan revealed that he rejected the offer of the UFC to head the upcoming return of the promotion to Abu Dhabi on July 26.
The Armenian competitor has shown the interest of having shown the fight against Charles Oliveira for the second time, who defeated him at UFC 300 last year or in a heated resort with Dan Hooker.
Both men are arranged in the top 6 on 155 pounds, so when the UFC tried to match him against someone lower than this, Tsarukyan did not believe it was logical to him.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
“She [UFC] offered me a fight in Abu Dhabi in July, the main event, but I rejected it because they offered me an opponent that I didn't want to fight, “Tsarukyan said.” He is in the ranking under me, so I saw no reason to fight with him.
“In MMA I see no reason to only fight for money. I have to fight at least against a top 5 or top 6 opponent to ensure that my next fight will be for the title. I am the number one competition, why would I give such a gift to a man who is arranged number 10?
“Nobody did that for me when I made the top 10 … I didn't want to put my place at stake for free.”
Tsarukyan was then asked if there was any concern that this would frustrate the UFC after his late withdrawal for the UFC 311 main event.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty images
He said he is it if there is something that is disappointed because he does not believe that he will get the kind of battles he deserves.
“No, it is the UFC who made me angry when they offered me that kind of opponent. I would say that on their side it was disrespectful to offer me that. I earn better, I am the number one competition. I am not saying that they have to give me the title recording, just give me a bought.”
Although Tsarukyan does not mention the specific name that was offered to him, several sources claimed that it was the #7-ranged Mateusz Gamrot who gave him his last defeat in June 2022.
Gamrot was recently announced against L'Udovit Klein being confronted in a three-round fight on 31 May.
Who could then fight Arman Tsarukyan?
There are still many questions about how the lightweight division will take place in the coming months, but it does not seem unreasonable that Arman Tsarukyan will get his wish from a top 6 opponent.
This can be a problem if the UFC wants him to fight against someone who is a little further in the pecking order, but given the run he is currently, the position of the top candidate makes sense.
Although Tsarukyan does not mention Mateusz Gamrot, he mentions Hooker when he wonders why he cannot fight against an opponent like 'The Hangman' instead.
Hooker is perhaps only one place above Gamrot in the ranking, but he is currently driving a three-Fight win-streak with a victory over 'Gamer' last August.