TLDR
- Justin Gaethje acknowledges Arman Tsarukyan deserves the next lightweight title shot but hasn’t committed to defending
- Gaethje is dealing with lingering injuries including a deep knee bruise and hand issues three months after his last fight
- The 37-year-old champion says he will make a decision about his future after the holidays
- Tsarukyan knocked out Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 and posted ‘Title shot secured’ afterward
- Gaethje denies the delay is about money, stating the decision is about his health
Sources: yardbarker.com | sherdog.com | mmajunkie.usatoday.com
UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje has confirmed that Arman Tsarukyan deserves the next title shot but refuses to commit to the fight. The 37-year-old champion says he needs time to recover from injuries and will make his decision after the holidays.
Gaethje won the interim lightweight title by defeating Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 in January. He then unified the title with a victory over Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 in June on the White House lawn.
Tsarukyan extended his winning streak to six fights with a first-round knockout of Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331. After the win, Tsarukyan posted “Title shot secured” on social media and called out Gaethje directly.
Mauricio Ruffy believes he would've knocked out Arman Tsarukyan in the second round:
"I could feel it. I felt the fight in my control. I felt his strength was breaking, he was hurt, his eye was closed. I was sure I'd finish the fight in the 2nd round."pic.twitter.com/byAsqkFHIu
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 23, 2026
Champion Dealing With Multiple Injuries
Gaethje revealed he is still dealing with injuries from his fight with Topuria three months ago. He told the Flagrant Podcast that he has a deep bruise in his knee and still cannot punch properly with his hand.
“It’s not that I don’t want to fight Arman, it really isn’t,” Gaethje said. “He’s the next in line; if and when I defend this championship, that will be who I fight. I just don’t know.”
The champion explained that both of his title fights this year took a heavy toll on his body. Both fights won MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Month awards for their intensity.
“I gave a lot of myself for this fight in January. In June, luckily I came out on top, but it cost me a lot, so I need to recover,” Gaethje said. “I need to rest my brain because a lot of training went into those fights.”
Gaethje has fought professionally since 2008 and has competed in 40 fights including amateur bouts. He was considering retirement before his June fight with Topuria.
Retirement Still on the Table
The champion said he plans to enjoy being the titleholder for the rest of the year before making any decisions. He will wait until after the holidays to decide whether to defend his belt or retire.
“I’m just going to enjoy being the champion for the rest of the year,” Gaethje said. “I’m going to make a business decision and a life decision whenever the time comes.”
Some fans have speculated that Gaethje is using this delay as a negotiating tactic to get more money from the UFC. When asked directly if he was posturing for a bigger payday, Gaethje denied it.
“This has never been about money for me,” Gaethje said. “It’s about health.”
Ruffy reflected on his loss to Tsarukyan, saying he made a crucial mistake in the final seconds of the first round. The Brazilian had hurt Tsarukyan early and left him with a swollen eye.
Ruffy said he relaxed his defense when he heard the 10-second warning, thinking he would finish the fight in round two. Instead, Tsarukyan knocked him out with an elbow from the clinch with just four seconds left in the round.
“I could have gotten away from the fence, but I didn’t want to,” Ruffy said on Instagram. “I wanted to use that moment against him, and it was a good idea. I just got careless.”
Tsarukyan has two Real American Freestyle wrestling matches scheduled before any potential UFC title fight. He will face Dillon Danis for the inaugural RAF middleweight crossover title on October 23 in Las Vegas, then compete at RAF’s Abu Dhabi event on November 14.
Dana White acknowledged after UFC 331 that Tsarukyan strengthened his position in the title picture. However, Gaethje’s next opponent has not been officially confirmed by the UFC.
