Arman Tsarukyan appears to be downplaying his role as a backup fighter for the upcoming UFC main event at the White House. UFC CEO Dana White had recently designated Tsarukyan as the official backup for the lightweight title unification bout between champion Ilia Topuria and interim titleholder Justin Gaethje. This significant fight is slated to headline UFC Freedom 250, scheduled to take place on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 14.
This designation seemed like a positive development for Tsarukyan, who has experienced a period of inactivity over the past two years. Despite remaining a top contender in the division, he has only competed twice during this timeframe, all while awaiting a promised title shot.
However, the 29-year-old Armenian fighter has indicated that he does not intend to fulfill his backup duties for the White House event. Tsarukyan has been actively participating in wrestling matches under the Real American Freestyle (RAF) banner, even during his hiatus from the UFC octagon.
Just last week, at the pre-fight press conference for RAF 09, where he secured a dominant victory, Tsarukyan explicitly stated his intention to prioritize his wrestling commitments. He is scheduled to face former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson at RAF 10 on June 13, a day before the UFC White House card. Tsarukyan believes that the primary fight between Topuria and Gaethje will proceed as planned, making his backup services unnecessary.
โI have wrestling on June 13,โ Tsarukyan stated. โIโm a backup, but everything is going good, there are two weeks left, so I think theyโre [Topuria and Gaethje] going to fight, and Iโm going to wait for my chanceโฆ Iโm going to do RAF.โ
Following his win at RAF 09, Tsarukyan was also announced for another notable wrestling match against former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington at RAF 11 on July 18.
Arman Tsarukyan’s last appearance in the UFC was in November at UFC Doha, where he submitted Dan Hooker in the second round. He is currently on a five-fight winning streak within the UFC, holding a professional record of 10-2 in the organization.
