Pimblett dismisses Tsarukyan as top contender and tells him to stop 'tickling people' in RAF

Paddy Pimblett used UFC 329 media day on Wednesday to take direct aim at Arman Tsarukyan’s standing in the lightweight division, arguing that the Armenian contender has no business being discussed as a title challenger given how rarely he has competed in the octagon.

“He needs to fight,” Pimblett said. “He’s had like one fight in three years and he beat an absolute bum. He needs to actually fight. Not go around in a singlet tickling people.”

The comment was a pointed reference to Tsarukyan’s most recent UFC outing — a lopsided win over Dan Hooker that extended his winning streak to five — and to his growing involvement in RAF, the freestyle wrestling promotion where he has become a regular fixture. Tsarukyan is scheduled to compete at an RAF event in Georgia on Saturday before facing Colby Covington in Milwaukee the following week, neither of which takes place inside the UFC octagon.

“[Fight] anyone. Just fight someone,” Pimblett added. “Get in the octagon and actually fight. Stop going around on your private jet eating food.”

Pimblett’s comments come as he prepares to face Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 329, a fight he views as a necessary step back toward a title shot. His case for contention was bolstered in January when he went the full five rounds with Justin Gaethje — now the undisputed lightweight champion after defeating Ilia Topuria — despite ultimately losing the decision. Pimblett noted that Topuria, who had previously held the featherweight title, could not survive past the fourth round against Gaethje, a fact he believes reflects well on his own durability at 155 pounds.

He was candid about what went wrong in that fight, pointing to a significant eye poke as a turning point, while stopping short of using it as an excuse.

“I’m not going to use it as an excuse but the eye poke did change the fight in a big way,” Pimblett said. “The damage on my face was from an eye poke right hand. It wasn’t just an eye poke. I felt his thumb touch my brain. So it was a bit heavy. I couldn’t see for about two rounds after it.”

Pimblett acknowledged he also took a lesson from the loss itself — “don’t go to war with Justin Gaethje” — and praised the champion for his performance. He is now targeting a win over Saint Denis at UFC 329 as the first of at least two victories he believes the UFC will require before granting him a rematch with Gaethje.