"I hate Paddy" - Arman Tsarukyan takes swipe at Paddy Pimblett’s title shot with "paid for the judges" jibe

Arman Tsarukyan has made it clear that he's tired of waiting for his title shot and even more tired of watching Paddy Pimblett leapfrog the queue. The No.1-ranked lightweight contender recently reacted strongly to Pimblett’s interim title booking against Justin Gaethje at UFC 324.

Tsarukyan urged Gaethje to stay disciplined for what could be his final run for the title. He believes the American fighter can still take the interim belt with clean boxing, strong kicks, and takedown defense.

The Armenian even offered to fly in and help Gaethje prepare for the fight. Sharing his thoughts on the lightweight division landscape and the upcoming matchup in an interview with ESPN MMA, Tsarukyan said:

"I hope Justin [is] not going to drink, party, and going to dedicate himself [and] be focused. It's his last chance in this life... This is his chance and the end of his career. Win the interim title, fight for the real title and then retire. That's the best for him. And Justin, if you need help, let me know. I'll fly! I'll fly to you and help you."

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He added:

"I don't know how to explain [the Pimblett title shot case]. You know, when you're an amateur fighter, you can buy judges... Like a poor guy is fighting with a rich kid [and] someone paid for the judges and he's winning always... It's the same. He has like a [lot of] followers or whatever, or his country is big... So he got his title fight because of that... I hate Paddy."

Check out Arman Tsarukyan's comments below (9:00):

The frustration runs deep for Tsarukyan because he expected to be next after his win against Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar. Instead, the UFC chose Gaethje and Pimblett for the interim title while he waits for a path to either Ilia Topuria or another meaningful fight.

Paddy Pimblett fires back at Arman Tsarukyan after UFC 324 announcement

Paddy Pimblett wasted no time celebrating his interim title shot against Justin Gaethje and used the moment to poke a fresh jab at Arman Tsarukyan.

The Liverpool lightweight reacted online as soon as the UFC 324 main event became official. He took to X and wrote:

"You like apples? @armanufc"

Tsarukyan had dominated Dan Hooker earlier in the month and established himself as the division’s top contender. He questioned the announcement on social media, but he has already shifted his focus toward new matchups.