The title fights won by Alexandre Pantoja and Ilia Topuria at UFC 317 last Saturday (28) are still reverberating in the MMA world. And the challengers who emerged on that occasion are also a topic of discussion. The number 1 in the lightweight division (up to 70,3kg), Arman Tsarukyan , was not at all happy with the confusion that occurred between the new champion of the category, Ilia Topuria, and Paddy Pimblett in the octagon. The Spaniard won the belt after knocking out Charles do Bronx in the first round in the main fight of the event held in Las Vegas (USA).
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“For the first 20, 30 minutes, of course I was upset. I said, ‘This isn’t a sport. This is WWE. They can do whatever they want—it was a mistake by Joe Rogan, and he shouldn’t have called him into the octagon.’ I was surprised. But when Dana said it shouldn’t be like that, I thought, ‘Okay, I hope he’s not fighting for the title,’” Arman told Daniel Cormier on the former wrestler’s channel.
Dana White disapproves of Topuria vs. Pimblett match
Dana White at the UFC press conference. Photo: Reproduction/YouTube
Immediately after winning the main event of UFC 317 , Ilia Topuria staged a surprise face-off with Paddy Pimblett inside the octagon, in a promotional move for a possible next fight. However, the action displeased Dana White. In a post-event press conference, the UFC president criticized the impromptu face-off, stating that it was outside of protocol and that he wouldn't have allowed it if he had still been present cage-side. He considered the scene a mistake by the organization.
“I don’t know who the hell let him in there. This should have never happened. Let’s start there. I was already back in my room, or this would have never happened,” Dana White said.
Arman Tsarukyan seeks new title shot
Arman Tsarukyan disapproved of the face-off between Pimblett and Topuria. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Ranked number one in the division, Arman Tsarukyan was set to fight for the lightweight title in January, when he was scheduled to headline UFC 311 against then-champion Islam Makhachev . On the eve of the event, the Armenian claimed to have suffered a back injury during the weight-cutting process and was replaced by Brazilian Renato Moicano , who was ultimately submitted by the Russian in the first round of the fight.
Since then, Arman Tsarukyan has been campaigning for another title shot. The Armenian was even chosen as a reserve for the fight between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira at UFC 317.
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