In a game of small distinctions, Mateusz Gamrot — who fights this weekend against Quillan Salkilld at the UFC Apex — has a pretty good one in that he beat Arman Tsarukyan back in 2022. This is an excellent feat by industry standards. In the last six years, 10 other men have tried do just that and 10 men have failed. Most recently, Dan Hooker came up woefully short in his attempt. Tsarukyan submitted Hooker in the second round of their fight last November and made it look relatively easy in doing so.
With five straight wins, Tsarukyan is good enough for other fighters to measure their own standards of greatness, which is its own small distinction.
Yet, despite Dana White pinky swearing that Tsarukyan would be next for a ******* le shot if he beat Hooker in Qatar, here we are over eight months later and … guess what?
He still hasn't fought for the ******* le. And it doesn't appear he will anytime soon.
On Wednesday, the UFC announced that Tsarukyan will face Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 in September, in a five-round non-title fight, meaning it's exceedingly unlikely he'll fight for the belt in 2026. Though it's a fine fight — in fact it's crazy good, far more intriguing than a rematch with Charles Oliveira, even if it were for the BMF — it can't help but feel like Arman is forever on the outside looking in. He has been in Dana's doghouse since he backed out of his ******* le chance at the eleventh hour of UFC 311 with an injury, and he didn't do himself any favors by headbutting Hooker during the face-offs in Qatar.
#good #standards
With five straight wins, Tsarukyan is good enough for other fighters to measure their own standards of greatness, which is its own small distinction.
Yet, despite Dana White pinky swearing that Tsarukyan would be next for a ******* le shot if he beat Hooker in Qatar, here we are over eight months later and … guess what?
He still hasn't fought for the ******* le. And it doesn't appear he will anytime soon.
On Wednesday, the UFC announced that Tsarukyan will face Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 in September, in a five-round non-title fight, meaning it's exceedingly unlikely he'll fight for the belt in 2026. Though it's a fine fight — in fact it's crazy good, far more intriguing than a rematch with Charles Oliveira, even if it were for the BMF — it can't help but feel like Arman is forever on the outside looking in. He has been in Dana's doghouse since he backed out of his ******* le chance at the eleventh hour of UFC 311 with an injury, and he didn't do himself any favors by headbutting Hooker during the face-offs in Qatar.
#good #standards
2 months ago
