Arman Tsarukyan has taken a different approach in his quest to secure a UFC lightweight title shot. The top-ranked contender issued a public apology to UFC CEO Dana White and Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell during an appearance on Daniel Cormier's show, promising to reform his behavior in exchange for a championship opportunity.
"Dana and Hunter Campbell, forgive me," Tsarukyan said in a January interview with Daniel Cormier. "Give me a title fight. I'll be a good boy. I'm a good boy. And I'm not going to hit anybody anymore".
The 29-year-old Armenian fighter went further, acknowledging the specific incidents that have kept him sidelined from title contention. "During camp, it can happen everything, you know? Like, you can get hurt. But for the weight cut, for the punching bags or headbutt anybody, never happen again," he added. Tsarukyan tried to maintain some edge, noting that if someone slaps him first, he reserves the right to respond, but emphasized his commitment to improved self-control.
Arman Tsarukyan
Tsarukyan's plea comes after a series of controversial incidents that have damaged his standing with UFC leadership. In April 2024, he received a nine-month suspension and $25,000 fine from the Nevada State Athletic Commission after throwing a punch at a fan during his walkout at UFC 300. The suspension was later reduced to six months after he agreed to produce an anti-bullying public service announcement. Which he later did not do.
More recently, Tsarukyan headbutted Dan Hooker during their ceremonial weigh-in faceoff before UFC Qatar in November 2025. The incident proved more damaging than initially apparent. Hooker revealed on "The Ariel Helwani Show" that the headbutt broke his nose, an injury that wasn't discovered until after their fight.
"When this c-nt f-cking headbutted me at the weigh-ins and broke my f-cking nose, it pissed me right off," Hooker said, though he clarified the injury didn't affect his performance in the second-round submission loss.
White confirmed the headbutt "100 percent" factored into the decision to exclude Tsarukyan from the UFC 324 interim title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett. "A lot of things have factored in," White told the Spinnin' Backfist MMA Show.
The most damaging setback came in January 2025, when Tsarukyan withdrew from his scheduled UFC 311 title fight against Islam Makhachev just one day before the event, citing a back injury sustained during his weight cut. White's response was unequivocal at the time: "He's not getting the next title shot, so that means he's going to have to fight his way back to the title".
Missing the UFC 324 Opportunity
Despite holding the number one contender spot and coming off a dominant second-round arm-triangle submission victory over Hooker at UFC Qatar, Tsarukyan was passed over for the interim lightweight title fight at UFC 324 on January 25. Gaethje defeated Pimblett by unanimous decision to capture the interim belt and set up a unification bout with champion Ilia Topuria.
Tsarukyan has questioned the UFC's decision-making process, suggesting commercial considerations trumped merit-based rankings. He pointed to Topuria's hiatus due to personal matters related to his divorce as creating the interim title opportunity, but argued that higher-ranked fighters like Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira should have been considered before Pimblett. "Everyone wants Paddy Pimblett to make a champion," Tsarukyan said, suggesting the promotion favors American and English fighters over others.
Tsarukyan's immediate future remains uncertain. With a professional record of 23-3, including victories over former champion Charles Oliveira and top contenders Beneil Dariush and Dan Hooker, his credentials are undeniable. He has won 10 of his last 11 fights and currently holds the number two ranking in the UFC lightweight division.
The Armenian fighter attempted to mend fences by successfully weighing in as the official backup for Topuria's title defense against Oliveira at UFC 317 in June 2025, though his services were not required. He told Cormier that he now plans to wait for his title opportunity rather than take another non-title fight. "I want to fight Justin since he's the interim champion, and if Ilia can compete this year, they need to face off," Tsarukyan said. "But if [Topuria] can't fight in April or June, I would like to take on Gaethje".