Dana White commented that he is pleased with Arman Tsarukyan's current activity level and that Tsarukyan simply needs to avoid acting like a "maniac" to secure his title shot. Meanwhile, Tsarukyan stated he doubts a fight with Islam Makhachev will happen, believing Makhachev will retire after a couple more bouts. Tsarukyan expressed confidence that within a year he will dominate the sport and become the face of the UFC once he captures the title. The post also mentions that Robert Whittaker denied rumors about fighting Magomed Ankalaev, and that Michael Bisping and Daniel Cormier will serve as coaches on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter.
UFC president Dana White offered a simple prescription for lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan on Wednesday: stay out of trouble and a world title shot will follow. White said he is happy with Tsarukyan's activity inside the octagon and that the Armenian-Russian fighter merely needs to stop behaving like a "maniac" off it to keep his path to the championship clear.
Tsarukyan, for his part, voiced skepticism that a showdown with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev will ever materialize. He suggested Makhachev — currently 28-1 and the reigning welterweight titleholder at 34 years old — is likely to retire within a couple of fights, and that the matchup may never come to fruition. Despite that uncertainty, Tsarukyan expressed strong confidence in his own trajectory, stating he expects to capture the title within a year and establish himself as the face of the UFC.
Elsewhere in the news cycle, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker moved to shut down speculation linking him to a fight with light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev. Whittaker, 35, carries a 27-9 record and ranks sixth in the middleweight division, averaging 4.39 significant strikes per minute across his career. Ankalaev, ranked first in the light heavyweight division and fifth pound-for-pound at 34, holds a 21-2-1 record and lands 3.65 significant strikes per minute. Whittaker denied the rumored matchup outright.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's conduct outside competition is now an acknowledged factor in his title shot timeline, adding an unusual off-cage dimension to the lightweight title picture.
- If Makhachev does approach retirement as Tsarukyan believes, the lightweight division faces a significant reshuffling at the top.
- The Whittaker-Ankalaev denial closes off what would have been a cross-divisional matchup, leaving both fighters' near-term opponents unclear.
- Michael Bisping and Daniel Cormier coaching the next season of The Ultimate Fighter adds a notable storyline to the UFC's broader programming calendar.
