Paddy Pimblett is sure Arman Tsarukyan was cleared to fight in UFC 311, but he chose not to do so.
The Emperor (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) pulled his back in January and then withdrew from the main event with UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in January. Makhachev faced Renato Moicano instead and submitted him in round one.
Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC) went out to the Emperor because he was not competing.
“The only person in the top 10 can be considered under the age of 35 is Ahman Zarkian,” Pinblett said in his “Full Submit Podcast.” “He’s a little gorgeous boy who handed it all over on his father’s silver platter. No (he wasn’t injured), he’s a little b*tch ass.
UFC CEO Dana White is not satisfied with Tsarukyan’s last minute pull, no. The 1 candidate said they must fight a way back to the title shot.
“Dana shot him down in that interview. I said, ‘Oops, that’s heavy,'” Pinblett said. “The reason your boss doesn’t want you to say that about you is he was asked, so he was still number one and he was like, ‘No, he’s going to have to go back to the drawings.’ …He’s basically you’ve been through your pants, so he’s not going to fight.
Pinblett appears as a lightweight competitor at the top when he assumes former title challenger Michael Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) in the five-round UFC 314 Co-Headliner (Pay-Per-View, ESPN, ESPN+) on Saturday at Kaseya Center in Miami.
The Emperor returns to Pinblet and is willing to fight him if he wins against Chandler.
The guy who went the easiest path to the top of the UFC says just because he has a funny accent and a budget Beatles haircut. If you win, I will call you to me and when we meet the clown, we will see who shits his pants in the octagon @paddythebaddy https://t.co/tkbm1hn5x2
—Arman Tsarukyan UFC (@armanufc) April 8, 2025
For more information about the card, see the MMA Junkie Event Hub at UFC 314.
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