Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett set the bar for Fight of the Year after going to war in the UFC 324 main event but at least one top ranked lightweight contender wasn’t that impressed.
Arman Tsarukyan watched the fight from cageside and he knew from witnesses the performances from Gaethje and Pimblett that he would have easily defeated either one of them to become interim champion. Despite an impressive five fight win streak and sitting atop the rankings at 155 pounds, Tsarukyan has remained the odd man out of the title picture after he suffered a fight week injury back in January 2025 that prevented him from facing then champion Islam Makhachev.
While he’s awaiting his next assignment, Tsarukyan criticized both Gaethje and Pimblett for what unfolded in the main event on Saturday.
“I told everybody Justin is going to win by decision,” Tsarukyan said during the UFC 324 post-fight show. “I didn’t understand [Paddy’s] game plan. He wanted to box with Gaethje, but he couldn’t wrestle him, he couldn’t box him. He’s just a little bit young, and he has a better chin. He’s a trash can.”
“I mean Paddy let him do that but Paddy, he’s not a top fighter. If it was me or Ilia [Topuria], Justin couldn’t fight like that. If I fight with Justin? I’ll choke him out in the second round.”
While Gaethje put on another jaw-dropping classic — and earned his 10th Fight of the Night award — Tsarukyan said the fight just proved that the now two-time interim champion isn’t really at his peak any longer.
“He’s just not in his prime anymore,” Tsarukyan said about Gaethje. “Justin, three or four years ago he was different. Now he’s getting old and he’s lost a couple of fights.”
More than anything, Tsarukyan believes that Gaethje let Pimblett off the hook one too many times during the fight after scoring multiple knockdowns. In Tsarukyan’s mind, Gaethje should have gotten the finish but instead he kept finding ways to allow Pimblett to survive
“[Gaethje] has no chin,” Tsarukyan said. “When Paddy clipped him a little bit, he was [wobbling] right away. His cardio is not that good, too. Paddy got knocked out like 15 or 20 times. Justin cannot wrestle and maybe he just didn’t want to finish him. I don’t know why. He could maybe 10 times.
“Maybe his game plan was like that, to win by decision but he dropped him and he was standing and waiting, when he stood up. I don’t know.”
By all accounts, Tsarukyan should have some place in the title picture at 155 pounds but there’s no telling what’s actually next for him.
With Gaethje now holding onto the interim title, the expectation is that he’ll move onto face Topuria in a champion versus champion fight sometime in 2026. But nothing is set in stone just yet, especially with Topuria still out of action while he deals with a very messy, public divorce that also involves custody of his children.
“Really I want to fight with Justin because he’s [got] the interim title,” Tsarukyan said. “If Ilia can fight this year, they’re going to fight together but if he cannot fight in April or June, I would like to fight Gaethje.
“[Otherwise] I have to [wait]. What can I do? I’ve got to wait and get my chance to be a champion. I got that opportunity last year but I couldn’t fight. I’ve got to wait and they’re going to give me that title.”
Tsarukyan did throw out one possibility that hasn’t been discussed yet and that’s a fight against Gaethje with Topuria actually leaving the division. While there’s no sign that’s going to happen, Tsarukyan offered that prediction when addressing the future of the lightweight title.
“I think I’ll fight with Gaethje and Topuria is going to fight for the 170 title,” Tsarukyan said. “I don’t know. I just guess.”
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