{
  "id": 1706373,
  "title": "Arman Tsarukyan confident handshake deal will lead to title shot with UFC 331 win",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/arman-tsarukyan-confident-handshake-deal-will-lead-to-title-shot-with",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-18T12:15:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/arman-tsarukyan-confident-handshake-deal-121519737.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - August 14, 2026 - Arman Tsarukyan, the Georgian lightweight fighter, is back and better than ever after a brief stint in the UFC's doghouse. Recently, Tsarukyan revealed in an interview with Ariel Helwani that a victory at UFC 331 would secure him a title shot against the current lightweight champion, Justin Gaethje. UFC CBO Hunter Campbell personally assured Tsarukyan of this opportunity during a handshake, which further solidified the fighter's confidence. Tsarukyan chose to fight at UFC 331 over a potential waiting game against Gaethje, as the event featured a highly anticipated flyweight title rematch between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja. He highlighted the benefits of staying active and earning good money for the fight, ultimately deciding that a win would be the best course of action. Tsarukyan's recent bout since a weight cut-related incident at UFC 311 has been a win against Dan Hooker. However, trouble arose when he headbutted Hooker during weigh-ins, causing injury and jeopardizing the bout. He also turned down a fight against Mateusz Gamrot, leading to an extended absence in 2026. Tsarukyan's past behavior, including an altercation at a fan event, has been a concern for UFC management. Nevertheless, he is now focused on his future, with Mauricio Ruffy awaiting his next challenge. With a victory at UFC 331, Arman Tsarukyan is set to face the UFC lightweight title contender.",
  "summary": "Arman Tsarukyan is out of the UFC doghouse and back at the front of a line for a lightweight title shot. All he has to do is get past Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 in Los Angeles on September 19th. In a new interview with Ariel Helwani, Tsarukyan revealed that he’d been told by UFC […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}