Story byFarah Hannoun, MMA JunkieMon, December 29, 2025 at 11:30 PM UTC·2 min readShara Magomedov is not surprised to see Arman Tsarukyan get passed up for a UFC title opportunity. Tsarukyan was not included in the interim lightweight title bout after champion Ilia Topuria announced that he's taking some personal time off. Instead, the promotion booked Justin Gaethje against Paddy Pimblett in the UFC 324 headliner on Jan. 24 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn the meantime, Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) has been keeping himself busy with grappling matches.
