Arman Tsarukyan says he has been assured his next fight will be for the UFC lightweight title, expected at the beginning of 2027. He said he would drop to 145 pounds if not given a shot at 155, but plans to stay at lightweight. Tsarukyan is on a six-fight UFC winning streak after knocking out Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 in September, while champion Justin Gaethje's retirement consideration and talk of a Gaethje-Ilia Topuria rematch had clouded the picture.
Arman Tsarukyan says the UFC has assured him that his next fight will be for the lightweight title, with the bout expected at the beginning of 2027, as first reported by MMA Fighting.
Tsarukyan also said he would consider dropping to 145 pounds if he were not given a shot at 155, though he stressed that he plans to remain at lightweight. The comments come as the division's title picture has been clouded by champion Justin Gaethje's consideration of retirement and talk of a rematch with Ilia Topuria.
Tsarukyan arrives on a six-fight UFC winning streak. His latest win was a first-round knockout of Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 in September, which is also his most recent recorded fight.
Ruffy, 30, is ranked eighth at lightweight and carries a 14-3 record. The Brazilian had won his two previous recorded bouts, both by knockout, including a first-round finish of Michael Chandler at UFC Freedom 250 in June. Tsarukyan's stoppage ended that run and marked Ruffy's third career loss.
Gaethje, 37, holds the lightweight title at 28-5. He won it back with a fourth-round knockout of Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, handing the Spaniard his first recorded loss. Topuria, 29, is 17-1 and still sits at the top of the lightweight rankings and the pound-for-pound list. Gaethje's recent form also includes a unanimous decision over Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 in January, a five-round title fight.
Why it matters
- A title shot for Tsarukyan would depend on Gaethje's plans, which remain unsettled amid the retirement talk.
- A Gaethje-Topuria rematch, which has been discussed, would sit in direct competition with Tsarukyan's claim to the next opportunity.
- Gaethje's output of 6.48 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy sets a high bar for any challenger.
The timeline Tsarukyan describes places any title fight months away, leaving room for the champion's decision and the rest of the division to move in the meantime.
