Volkanovski warns Tsarukyan's White House snub will cost him a UFC title shot

Alexander Volkanovski has warned that Arman Tsarukyan’s decision to skip the backup weigh-in at UFC Freedom 250 will hurt his chances of landing a lightweight title shot, arguing that the promotion rewards fighters who make themselves available when called upon.

Tsarukyan (23-3) was the designated backup for the lightweight championship bout between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje at the White House last weekend. The Armenian contender had previously stated he would only weigh in if he believed a genuine withdrawal was likely, and he ultimately skipped the formality altogether — choosing instead to compete against Tony Ferguson at RAF 10. Diego Lopes, already on the card in a featherweight bout against Steve Garcia, stepped in to fulfil the backup role.

Volkanovski used Lopes as a direct counterexample on the “Bussin With the Boys” podcast, noting that the Brazilian’s willingness to step up on short notice has placed him at the centre of three landmark UFC events: UFC 300, Noche UFC at the Sphere, and UFC Freedom 250. That availability, Volkanovski argued, translated directly into opportunity — Lopes received two consecutive featherweight title shots against Volkanovski within nine months.

“The UFC, they like to favor you if you do them a favor and be a company man, they will look after you,” Volkanovski said. “Like Lopes, look at him. Look at the opportunities that bloke’s getting. He was at all of them, so they’re like, ‘We’ll give him this, we’ll give him that.’ He got two title fights in a row. You do these things, you’re exciting, and you’re a company man… they’ll look after you.”

Volkanovski speaks from experience. The featherweight champion accepted a rematch against Islam Makhachev in 2023 on just 12 days’ notice — a decision widely seen as cementing his reputation inside the organisation.

Tsarukyan’s position is already precarious. He was stripped of a scheduled lightweight title challenge against Makhachev last year after pulling out of that fight, and Volkanovski’s assessment suggests that declining the backup role at such a high-profile event is unlikely to accelerate his path back to contention.