Arman Tsarukyan, not Paddy Pimblett, deserves the next shot at Ilia Topuria — or so says one MMA legend urging the UFC to honor the rankings.
Following Islam Makhachev’s decision to vacate the lightweight title and move up to welterweight, Topuria claimed the vacant throne with a brutal knockout of former champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 317.
Following his emphatic victory, "El Matador" shared a fiery face-off with Pimblett inside the Octagon. Since then, "The Baddy" has seemingly jumped ahead of leading contenders like Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje in the race to challenge Topuria for his first title defense, largely because it’s the matchup many fans want to see next, even though the UFC has yet to make anything official.
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However, former UFC and ONE champion Demetrious Johnson isn’t sold on that matchup. Instead, the MMA legend throws his weight behind "Ahalkalakets" and believes Tsarukyan should be the one fighting for the 155-pound title next.
Demetrious Johnson Says Arman Tsarukyan More Worthy Of Title Shot Over Paddy Pimblett
During a recent video on his YouTube channel, Demetrious Johnson weighed in on the evolving UFC lightweight title picture following Ilia Topuria’s championship win. While he acknowledged that a showdown between Topuria and Paddy Pimblett might generate more revenue and fan interest, "Mighty Mouse" emphasized that the UFC should stick to merit-based matchmaking.
Johnson argued that Arman Tsarukyan, who holds a significantly higher ranking than “The Baddy”, is the deserving challenger for the next title shot.
It needs to be him, Arman Tsarukyan,” Johnson said. "This is why I say [UFC] it’s a reality TV show. It’s like, obviously Arman Tsarukyan is the number one contender. He’s ranked number one... Whatever you guys wanna go by the rankings, but they’re force in this fight with Paddy Pimblett versus Ilia Topuria just because it’s probably gonna sell more. But I think the rightful person who should be getting the next title shot at lightweight is Arman Tsarukyan.
“Ahalkalakets” last competed at UFC 300 in April 2024, where he earned a hard-fought split decision victory over Charles Oliveira. The win secured Tsarukyan a title shot against then-lightweight king Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 in January. However, the 28-year-old Armenian was forced to withdraw just hours before the weigh-ins due to an undisclosed health scare.
Tsarukyan served as the backup fighter for UFC 317, successfully making weight in case he was needed. Since then, he’s publicly called out Topuria for a title opportunity. However, despite his readiness, UFC CEO Dana White has yet to confirm him as the next challenger.
