Arman Tsarukyan finally has a glimmer of hope after being snubbed for a lightweight title shot. The 29-year-old defeated Georgio Poullas in their wild and electrifying rematch on Saturday at RAF 7 inside the Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida. Immediately after, he made another revelation. Speaking at the post-fight press conference, the UFC No. 2 lightweight contender confirmed he has been designated as the official backup for the June 14 showdown between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje at the White House South Lawn.
“So he has a fight coming up, and now he said, ‘Yeah, if UFC tells me, fight Arman, I’ll take it,’” Arman said about being the backup. “I’m a backup for the fight, and I’m gonna be ready if something happens. I’m gonna stay active. Maybe I’ll do an RAF [fight] next month or maybe in May. So we’ll see when Covington is ready, when he’s gonna be done with his drinking beer and lying down on the beach, and do extra exercises during the night.
This immediately sparked a back-and-forth with Colby Covington, who fought Dillon Danis in the co-main event of the night. While ‘Chaos’ managed to pull off a win over Danis, it was anything but easy. Despite his sloppy performance, Covington, who had called out Tsarukyan for a fight after beating Luke Rockhold earlier this year, didn’t back down from responding to Arman Tsarukyan’s dig at him.
“So, I’m dealing with real American patriots; you should drink a real American beer,” Covington said, referring to his partnership with the brand. “This isn’t gonna affect your cardio, bro.
“Bro, you already have a stomach,” Tsarukyan responded. “There [are] no six-packs anymore. I’m not doing that as a wrestler. I’m a legit wrestler. So you gotta keep training.
“I’m not a bodybuilder influencer,” Covington explained. “I’m a legit wrestler and a four-time challenger in the UFC.
“Yes, you are,” Tsarukyan said during the presser. “But if you’re gonna keep doing the same thing, you’re gonna lose me. I wanna have like a real wrestling match. So keep training. Keep training.”
“I’ll be back up for Ilia’s fight in case anything happens.”
Arman Tsarukyan says he is ready to step in if needed ahead of Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje, while also trading shots with Colby Covington over claims he is not training seriously
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— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) March 29, 2026
Dana White says Arman Tsarukyan can fight UFC BJJ star
“I guess, I don’t know,” White said. “Is that what he wants to do? … Well, I believe if Claudia wants it done, she’ll get it done.”
Arman Tsarukyan has been on a tear, competing in grappling matches since his fight against Dan Hooker last year. He previously defeated Lance Palmer and Muhammad Mokaev and made multiple appearances in the Real American Freestyle (RAF) promotion, with his most recent wins coming against Georgio Poullas in two fights.
These events have also brought a lot of positive attention towards him, which has helped him distance himself from the rebellious image he had built in the UFC.
Things are finally starting to look up for Arman Tsarukyan. At best, Justin Gaethje could get injured, and the Armenian would replace him. At worst, he would fight at UFC BJJ, adding to his accomplishments. Both scenarios will work in his favor, but what do you want from him next?
