Arman Tsarukyan says Justin Gaethje is 'trying to duck' him, UFC answer due end of November

Tsarukyan says the UFC told him he will hear at the end of November, and he would also fight Alexander Volkanovski.

Arman Tsarukyan says lightweight champion Justin Gaethje is trying to avoid fighting him.

"Someone is trying to duck me," Tsarukyan told Helen Yee Sports before his RAF 14 wrestling match with Dillon Danis on Friday. He named Gaethje, saying the champion is now talking about retirement.

"Either UFC is going to pay him so much money that he's going to fight, or he's just going to retire," Tsarukyan said. "They told me they're going to let me know at the end of November."

Gaethje won the undisputed lightweight title against Ilia Topuria at UFC White House in June. He is recovering from injury and targeting a return in 2027, with no opponent set. He admitted earlier this year that "the end is near" but has given no sign that he plans to retire as champion.

In the same interview, asked about Alexander Volkanovski, Tsarukyan said he would fight the featherweight champion. "Yeah, I would fight him," Tsarukyan said. "I think it's a good fight for me, stylistically. He's old. Bad chin."

Volkanovski stopped Movsar Evloev at UFC 333 on Saturday and then called for a fight with Gaethje.

If the title becomes vacant, Tsarukyan named Paddy Pimblett, Topuria and the winner of Charles Oliveira against Diego Lopes as fights he would take. "Paddy, Ilia, or winner of Oliveira and Lopes," he said. "All of them on the same level, it's not going to be hard for me."

Tsarukyan beat Danis by 10-0 tech fall at RAF 14.

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