UFC Lightweight Shake-Up: Tsarukyan Claims He Was Ignored as Pimblett Inches Toward Interim Gold
16 January 2026
Interim title shake-up in the lightweight division
Arman Tsarukyan, the top-ranked lightweight, says he was sidelined in the race for the interim belt, alleging that UFC hopes Paddy Pimblett will become champion instead.
Pimblett, the Liverpool-born Brit, is set to meet Justin Gaethje for the interim title on January 24, even though Tsarukyan leads the rankings and Gaethje sits fourth.
The decision surprised many: Pimblett is ranked fifth in the division while Tsarukyan sits at No. 1, triggering questions about the criteria behind the matchup.
Tsarukyan's take and UFC's explanation
Tsarukyan claims Pimblett's immense popularity was a decisive factor, telling reporters that if they faced him, Pimblett would likely lose and his star would fade.
He argues Gaethje is not an easy path either—older and possibly with only a couple of chances left.
Tsarukyan adds that the interim belt was meant to crown a non-true champion anyway, with Ilia Topuria off the scene; he doubts Pimblett could beat him.
Dana White didn't spell out all the reasons for excluding Tsarukyan but acknowledged a weigh-in incident—Tsarukyan head-butting Dan Hooker—factored into the decision.
Tsarukyan previously pulled out of a lightweight title bout with Islam Makhachev during fight week in 2025, which also shaped the landscape.
With Topuria away for personal reasons, the UFC scheduled the interim title bout. Fans expect the winner of Gaethje vs Pimblett to face Tsarukyan or to crown a new interim champion depending on Topuria's return.
Looking ahead, Tsarukyan tempered expectations that Pimblett would face him, saying, "I am a nightmare for him; he knows if we fight, he loses and he will dodge me for life."
He closed with: "I hope Gaethje knocks him out".
Punchline 1: In MMA, the belt is heavy, but the ego at weigh-ins can be heavier.
Punchline 2: If this were a movie, Pimblett vs Gaethje would be the sequel everybody pretends not to have waited for—and yet here we are.
