Dana White stood at the podium on Thursday, November 27, 2025, grinning like a man who’d just sold ice to Eskimos.“January 24, Las Vegas. Justin Gaethje versus Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight title. Winner fights Ilia Topuria when he comes back.”The room erupted. Cameras flashed. Paddy started cutting a promo before the mic even left Dana’s hand.One guy wasn’t clapping.Arman Tsarukyan, the undefeated-in-four-years, former-champ-beating, No. 1 ranked lightweight on planet Earth, just watched his guaranteed title shot evaporate live on YouTube.
The UFC’s decision to book Justin Gaethje versus Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight championship at UFC 324 on January 24 has ignited sharp criticism from fighters, analysts, and a significant portion of the fanbase, with many arguing that top-ranked contender Arman Tsarukyan has been unfairly denied the next title opportunity.
I won’t be fighting in the first quarter of next year. I’m going through a difficult moment in my personal life. I want to focus on my children and resolve this situation as soon as possible.
— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) November 27, 2025
I don’t want to hold up the division. The UFC will make the matchups needed, and as soon…
Dana Annonced the fight
The announcement that Gaethje (No. 5) and Pimblett (No. 7) will compete for an interim belt created due to Topuria’s extended absence for personal reasons has been widely interpreted as a departure from the merit-based queue. Gaethje enters the bout with a 1-2 record in his past three outings, while Pimblett’s résumé, though undefeated in the UFC, includes only one victory against a current top-tier lightweight (Michael Chandler).
🚨 Dana White confirms that the winner of Justin Gaethje vs Paddy Pimblett will fight Ilia Topuria next for the undisputed title
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 27, 2025
(via @danawhite) pic.twitter.com/P2Ls3sx78J
Arman robbed of a title shot ?
Tsarukyan (23-3), the clear No. 1 contender, is riding a five-fight win streak that includes victories over former champion Charles Oliveira and perennial top-five fighters Beneil Dariush and Dan Hooker, the latter just six days ago in Qatar. He also served as the official backup for Ilia Topuria’s title-winning fight against Oliveira in June. Throughout 2024 and early 2025, UFC CEO Dana White repeatedly stated on record that Tsarukyan was next in line for a championship opportunity.
UFC plans
Embed from Getty ImagesIndustry observers note that the matchup carries significant commercial appeal: a potential Topuria-Pimblett clash would headline major European markets, and Gaethje remains one of the promotion’s most exciting action fighters. Sources close to the situation indicate the UFC prioritized marketable storylines during Topuria’s hiatus over strictly adhering to the rankings a practice the organization has employed in the past when champion timelines create scheduling voids.
Tsarukyan issued a measured but pointed response on social media, stating he will now only accept fights for the championship. Whether the UFC will grant him the winner of the interim bout upon Topuria’s mid-2026 return, or if further changes to the lightweight title picture are forthcoming, remains unclear. For now, the division’s path to unification has taken a controversial detour that has once again placed the perennial debate of merit versus marketability at the forefront of the sport.
Preview Image: by K22, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
