Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Arman Tsarukyan during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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Arman Tsarukyan Confirms What He Said Before The Islam Makhachev Fight Despite Clowning The New Champion For Doing The Same

Arman Tsarukyan admits he would do this one thing, despite publicly criticizing the UFC’s latest titleholder for it!

Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Arman Tsarukyan during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Arman Tsarukyan has always been the type of guy who speaks his mind, whether people want to hear it or not. The Armenian lightweight has worked his way up the rankings through pure skill and determination, earning his shot at the title through a series of impressive victories. His journey to the top hasn’t been easy, and like most fighters, he’s had to deal with the politics and business side of the sport that fans don’t always see.

Before his highly anticipated showdown with Islam Makhachev, Tsarukyan made some comments that raised eyebrows throughout the MMA community. In typical fashion, he didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts about how the championship game really works behind the scenes. His words revealed a side of the sport that many fighters think about but rarely discuss openly: the cold, hard business reality that drives decision making at the highest level. What made these comments even more interesting was the timing, coming from a fighter who was about to challenge for the belt himself. That fight against Islam Makhachev never materialized. This was due to Tsarukyan injuring his back days before the fight.

Arman Tsarukyan Talks Post-Championship Strategy

Tsarukyan dropped some truth bombs when he talked about what he would do if he won the lightweight title. He straight up admitted that he would pick fights based on who the UFC would pay him more to face. It’s the kind of brutal honesty that makes some fans uncomfortable because it pulls back the curtain on the business side of fighting.

“When I win the title, the sport thing is done. It’s gonna start business and i’m gonna pick with who UFC pays me more and it doesn’t matter who it is gonna be,” said Tsarukyan via Pound 4 Pound podcast back in January.

🚨Before the fight with Islam Makhachev, in the interview, Arman said that if he had won the title, he would've just picked the fight with whoever the UFC would pay him more for 💰.

"When I win the title, the sports thing is done. It's gonna start just business, and I'm gonna… pic.twitter.com/MwbOGYAkJv
— MMA Pros Pick (@MMA_PROS_PICK_) August 5, 2025

This kind of thinking isn’t exactly revolutionary in professional sports, but hearing a fighter say it out loud hits differently. Tsarukyan was basically admitting that championship decisions aren’t always about facing the toughest opponent or proving who’s the best. Sometimes it’s about maximizing earning potential and taking the smartest business moves available.

Arman Tsarukyan Reaffirms His Stance

Tsarukyan had previously been critical of Ilia Topuria for making similar business-driven decisions. He essentially called him out for not always taking the toughest available fights. Now he was admitting that he would do exactly the same thing if he found himself in their position. Talking to Kamil Gadzhiev recently, this is what he said:

“If they put me and Paddy on the table, Ilia would of couse choose Paddy. Maybe I would too, if I had the same opportunity.”

Arman Tsarukyan says that if he had the same opportunity as Ilia — to pick between him or Paddy — he would've picked Paddy too, because it's an easier fight and brings more money. 💰

via: kamilgadzhiev YT / #UFC pic.twitter.com/q7IUXjYJSL
— MMA Pros Pick (@MMA_PROS_PICK_) August 4, 2025

The irony wasn’t lost on MMA fans who remembered his earlier criticism of Topuria. Tsarukyan was essentially proving that it’s easy to judge from the outside. But when you’re actually in the championship picture, the business realities become much more tempting.

(Image Credit: Mark J. Rebilas – Imagn Images)

Arman Tsarukyan

Ilia Topuria

Paddy Pimblett

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!