"That's your fault" - Ex-UFC champ addresses Arman Tsarukyan being overlooked for title shot in favor of Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett

UFC vet on Arman Tsarukyan
UFC vet on Arman Tsarukyan's title shot snub. [Image courtesy: Getty Images]

Former UFC champion Eddie Alvarez recently shared his thoughts on Arman Tsarukyan seemingly being snubbed for a lightweight title shot. Alvarez claimed that Tsarukyan was to blame for the position he's in and explained why.

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After Tsarukyan's second-round submission victory over Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar last month, many expected him to get the next lightweight title shot against Ilia Topuria. However, the UFC recently announced that Paddy Pimblett will be going up against Justin Gaethje in an interim lightweight title fight at UFC 324 in January.

This development left many wondering why Tsarukyan was overlooked, with 'Ahalkalakets' taking to social media to question the interim title matchup. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Alvarez shared his two cents on the matter and said:

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"I think UFC just keeps using Arman to fill cards. And that's your fault. It's your responsibility to go out there and do something that fans want to see, that fans get excited about... The fans want to see something special, something unbelievable. They want to see excitement, blood, guts, and you have to give the customer what they want."
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He added:

"So, if you're not getting the fights you want, you're not getting moved up the division the way you want, maybe you have to adjust your style. You can be a ground guy and be exciting. Khabib [Nurmagomedov] was very exciting when he took people down and ground and pounded. He was always working to get a finish." [H/t: MMA Junkie]
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Sean O'Malley believes UFC doesn't want Arman Tsarukyan to become the lightweight champion

Sean O'Malley recently shared his thoughts on Arman Tsarukyan seemingly being overlooked for a title shot. The former UFC bantamweight champion theorized that the promotion liked Ilia Topuria as a titleholder and didn't want his reign threatened.

In a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel, O'Malley broke down Tsarukyan's title shot snub and said:

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"I do not think the UFC will make Arman vs. Ilia because I think they love Ilia as a champion, he’s a great champion. I don’t think they really want Arman to become champion. He has a fu***** legitimate chance of beating Ilia. I can’t believe I said it… If anyone has a chance at beating Ilia at 155, it’s Arman the turkey man Tsarukyan.”

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Edited by Nishant Zende.
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