Arman Tsarukyan made his wrestling debut with a clinical, cold dominance, landing offense after offense to end his RAF bout with a 10-0 technical fall against Lance Palmer. After the No. 1 UFC lightweight contender owned the RAF mats, he was ready to put Dana White and Paddy Pimblett under the radar for his title snub.

Since Tsarukyan was unjustly pushed out of the title conversations, he has stayed in the midst of the UFC fandom with his unapologetic attitude. Once again, the Armenian fighter has claimed the spotlight, sharing his perspective on the Gaethje vs Pimblett interim title fight, offering an unusual opinion on the Pimblett bias.

Arman Tsarukyan lifts the lid on interim title fight aspirations

While Arman Tsarukyan won’t be the one sharing the Octagon for the interim LW bout in UFC 324, he has shifted his perspective on the outcome of the fight, as he holds on to his final strands of hope. Speaking with Helen Yee, he shared who he backs for the Vegas bout.

“I want Justin [Gaethje] to beat Paddy [Pimblett]. Yeah,” he told Yee. “Because Justin, he’s going to fight with me. But if Paddy wins, he’s going to try to avoid me and try not to fight me because he’s not a man like Justin.”

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It is no surprise that Arman Tsarukyan finds himself on the UFC’s naughty list, especially after a headbutt against Dan Hooker at the Qatar face-offs. In fact, Tsarukyan blames that reputation for why the promotion’s first Paramount card was extra careful in eliminating him from the discussions.

However, Paddy Pimblett revels in being in the exact opposite fate as Tsarukyan, with the UFC supporting ‘Baddy’ in his climb to division gold. “Everybody knows they’re trying to keep Paddy Pimblett. They want to make him a champion because it’s his chance to be a champion,” Tsarukyan quipped on the uncomfortable truth. “They know if they put me against him, he’s going to lose, and the star is going to be gone.”

That’s exactly why Gaethje is Tsarukyan’s final hope in getting inside the Lightweight title conversations, with ‘The Highlight’ being bold enough to give ‘Ahalkalakets’ his long overdue opportunity, even if the odds seem to be stacking up high against him.

At 37, Gaethje’s best years are behind him. Moreover, rumors of a staph infection have put the MMA fandom in limbo as they wonder whether Gaethje will make it to the Jan 24 bout. In fact, Tsarukyan himself understands the jarring difference between the challengers, as he explained, “Gaethje is easy money for him. He has maybe one or two fights left, so that’s why they gave him an interim title.”

While he is fit and ready to offer himself as the backup fighter should Gaethje find himself on the outside looking in, he understands the nuance of why getting a shot against Pimblett has more to the picture than it seems.

Arman Tsarukyan blasts Paddy Pimblett’s cowardice

While Pimblett won’t be the most eager to provide Tsarukyan his deserved fight, that doesn’t stop the Liverpudlian from throwing cheap shots at Tsarukyan, who mocked the Armenian for a potential neck injury.

By contrast, Tsarukyan is perfectly fit with no medical health scares and is ready to address why Pimblett has such distorted views of the Armenian fighter. “He wants me to get hurt so I couldn’t fight him,” Tsarukyan told MMA Fighting. “I’m a nightmare for him, and he knows that if we fight, he’s going to lose. He’s going to try not to fight me all his life.”

That said, ‘Ahalkalakets’ is well aware of the situation the lightweight division is in, with Ilia Topuria enjoying some time off while Paddy Pimblett serves to gatekeep the belt from the top contenders. Without a doubt, Justin Gaethje is Tsarukyan’s final shot at realizing his UFC dreams.

So, what are your thoughts on the matter? Could Justin Gaethje live up to Tsarukyan’s expectations to fight UFC’s Pimblett bias? Comment below.