I Feel Sorry for Tsarukyan: Matt Brown

Former UFC fighter and record-holder Matt Brown has criticized the upcoming lightweight title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett for the interim championship.

"The situation is sad, and I don’t like it. Unfortunately, this is the result of the UFC being practically a monopoly. I feel more sorry for Arman than anyone else. He made one mistake, but did everything else right. He got injured, and I don’t consider that a serious mistake on his part. But now it is really hurting him. Everyone thinks Arman deserved to fight for the title. What’s the point of rankings if they don’t work? They might as well remove them and assign contenders based on their social media follower counts."

Brown expressed these views during his podcast. He added, "I haven’t heard Arman express any particular outrage about this situation. But if I were in his place, I would be upset. He could be out of contention for the title until 2027. This is a nightmare."

It is worth noting that Pimblett and Gaethje are set to fight for the UFC lightweight interim title at UFC 324, which will take place in Las Vegas, USA, on January 25, 2026. Following that, according to UFC president Dana White, the winner of the bout will face the current champion Ilia Topuria, who is taking a short break due to personal issues.