Will Arman Tsarukyan Serve as the Backup Fighter at UFC 324?
Arman Tsarukyan has given an update on whether he will serve as backup for the UFC 324 headliner, in which Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett will compete for the interim lightweight gold.
‘Ahalkalakets’ was denied a second title shot after pulling out of his UFC 311 title fight in 2025 against Islam Makhachev. As penance for withdrawing from the high-stakes Makhachev rematch, the Armenian fighter cut weight and served as backup for the UFC 317 headliner in which Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira fought for the vacant lightweight championship.
Last month, Tsarukyan also expressed interest in being a backup for the Gaethje vs. Pimbeltt bout. However, as per the latest update, he won’t be cutting weight for the fight and will not serve as the backup fighter. In a recent interview with Shakiel Mahjouri, he revealed:
“No, I did not talk to them, and I would not cut my weight just for money because it’s hard. But if they ask me, I will do it, but they didn’t ask. So that’s why is better for me not to cut weight. If I cut weight, I wanna fight. I already cut in June [for UFC 317] and nothing happened. I just spent my energy for the training camp for the weight cut.”
Check out Arman Tsarukyan’s comments below:
Arman Tsarukyan reveals the Real Reason why he pulled out of UFC 311
While there have been many theories about why Arman Tsarukyan pulled out of his UFC 311 title fight, the 29-year-old recently disclosed the real reason why he was forced to withdraw.
During a recent sitdown with Adin Ross, ‘Ahalkalakets’ revealed that he was diagnosed with a hernia. He also added that he might need surgery in the future to fix the issue once and for all.
“So I did an MRI, and it showed [I have a Hernia]… My back was fu**ked, and I could not move, then in two to three weeks I started moving. “
Check out Arman Tsarukyan’s comments below:
