Every fighter in the UFC wants to hold the coveted championship belt. Nevertheless, only a few come even close to that honor. At just 27 years old, Arman Tsarukyan is setting lofty MMA goals. The number-one-ranked lightweight contender also plans to go into retirement fairly early.
Tsarukyan laid out his ambitious objectives in a recent interview. The lightweight star was asked what he thought of his future position in the lightweight division. Arman Tsarukyan replied that he planned to become the longest-reigning lightweight champion. He revealed that he was still young and would want to go into retirement in his early thirties.
I wanna be a champion and i wanna be the longest [reigning] champion in the 155 division. So if i’m gonna be champion at 27, I guess I’m gonna retire like 33 years old or 34 years old.
Arman Tsarukyan via The New York Post Sports
Tsarukyan recently defeated the former champion Charles Oliviera at UFC 300. The Armenian-born fighter is currently the #1 contender at 155 lbs. He’s on a collision course with the winner of Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier. Tsarukyan remains mere months away from realizing his dream, as the UFC will likely book a title shot later this year.Â
For most fighters, 33 would be considered very young for retirement. As such, Tsarukyan seemed to have an exit strategy planned. He hoped to exit the sport at the top with all records shattered. Tsarukyan stated that he wouldn’t want to jump to 170 pounds in a rush if he became the champion. Regardless, Tsarukyan mapped out a sprint to greatness. If executed, he could retire in his early 30s as a UFC legend.Â
Arman Tsarukyan clarifies rumors about ducking Islam Makhachev
Rumors spread like wildfire in the mixed martial arts community. This is evident in the case of Arman Tsarukyan about the recent whispers surrounding his pursuit of Islam Makhachev. He clarified these rumors about turning down the fight against Islam Makhachev 4 times.
Arman Tsrukyan clarifies rumors of ducking Islam Makhachev (via YouTube)The UFC’s top lightweight contender was accused of ducking Makhachev repeatedly. This allegation came from the champion himself. But Tsarukyan was adamant that the speculation was highly exaggerated.
No, it was one time… They’re completely different fighters. What do you want from me? ‘Oh, we’re gonna pay good money, this, that.’ I said, ‘I’m not ready for this guy because my whole training camp was orthodox guys. … [That] was first time, and second time [turning down a fight against Makhachev], it was this time. That’s it.
Arman Tsarukyan via The New York Post Sports
The 27-year-old phenom insisted that he rebuffed just two Makhachev bookings. One came in early 2022 when he was preparing for Joel Alvarez. Makhachev’s original opponent was injured, and the UFC offered Tsarukyan a short-notice clash. However, he deemed the timing disadvantageous after training for an orthodox fighter.
Fast forward to April 2024, after dispatching Charles Oliveira, the UFC proposed Tsarukyan a title shot, which he also declined. While lucrative, Tsarukyan felt seven weeks was insufficient time to prepare properly. He couldn’t jeopardize throwing away years of work on short notice.
