Arman Tsarukyan has indicated his next fight will be for a title, pointing to a September event in Los Angeles as the likely venue for a rematch with BMF champion Charles Oliveira. He also stated that a fight with the winner of the Topuria vs. Gaethje matchup is targeted for the end of the year. The full picture for the lightweight division is expected to become clearer following the White House event.
Arman Tsarukyan has reportedly set his sights on two major lightweight targets for the remainder of 2026, with an unconfirmed report indicating he expects to fight BMF champion Charles Oliveira in September before pursuing a year-end showdown with the winner of the Ilia Topuria versus Justin Gaethje matchup.
According to the report, Tsarukyan is pointing to a September event in Los Angeles as the likely stage for a rematch with Oliveira, with the BMF title on the line. He has also identified a clash with the Topuria-Gaethje winner as a target before the year closes out. Neither bout has been officially confirmed, and Tsarukyan noted the broader lightweight picture should come into focus following the upcoming White House event.
Oliveira, 36, enters the frame carrying a 37-11-0 record and currently sits third in the lightweight rankings and eleventh in the pound-for-pound standings. The Brazilian submission specialist, who trains out of Chute Boxe Diego Lima, averages 2.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes and 2.22 takedowns in the same span — numbers that make him one of the most dangerous grapplers in the division.
Topuria, ranked second at lightweight and the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world at just 29 years old, brings a 17-1-0 record and an aggressive output of 4.81 significant strikes per minute for Spain. His opponent, BMF titleholder Justin Gaethje, is the division's reigning belt-holder at 37 and owns a 28-5-0 record. The American averages a punishing 6.48 significant strikes per minute with 58 percent accuracy, making him one of the highest-volume pressure fighters in the sport.
Why it matters
- A Tsarukyan-Oliveira BMF rematch would put a ranked contender against a top-three lightweight with a prestigious title at stake
- The Topuria-Gaethje winner will carry either the BMF belt or pound-for-pound momentum into any subsequent matchup
- Resolution of the lightweight title picture depends heavily on outcomes at multiple events across the second half of 2026
