Justin Gaethje Declined A Matchup Claims Arman Tsarukyan
The current number one UFC lightweight contender, Arman Tsarukyan, is scheduled to headline a UFC Fight Night: Qatar against fan favorite Dan “The Hangman” Hooker. Dan is returning to the Octagon after a year-long layoff due to injury, following a nail-biting split decision victory over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305.
Arman is now the highest-ranked opponent in the lightweight division following the departure of former champion Islam Makhachev, who decided to move up to welterweight. However, the human highlight reel, Justin Gaethje, had previously staked a claim for a title shot before being knocked out by Max Holloway at UFC 300. Since that loss, Justin had originally scheduled to fight Dan Hooker at UFC 313, but after Hooker pulled out, Gaethje took a short-notice rematch against Rafael Fiziev and secured a bounce-back win.
Now that Hooker is scheduled to fight Arman in Qatar, the pool of potential challengers to face newly crowned champion Ilia Topuria for the lightweight belt has narrowed. Odds currently favor Justin Gaethje to be the next opponent for the champion. This may explain Arman’s recent comments about Gaethje declining a fight previously offered by the UFC.
In a quote to MMA media via Ariel Helwani, Arman said, “Gaethje said no and Hooker said yes. Both are easy money.”
New Era for the UFC – Justin Vs Illia
Many UFC fans believe Arman Tsarukyan is the rightful contender for the lightweight title. However, it’s possible the UFC is still holding him back due to his withdrawal from a previously scheduled title fight against then-champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311. That cancellation forced Renato Moicano to step in on extremely short notice, disappointing both the UFC brass and the viewing audience.
This wasn’t Arman’s only controversial moment in the promotion. During his entrance at UFC 300, he appeared to strike a fan in the crowd, which resulted in a suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Nevertheless, if rumors are to be believed, this firefight of a matchup could mark the beginning of a new “non–pay-per-view” era for the UFC. Potentially reaching more viewers than ever before.
