Disgruntled UFC Star Claims Promotion Scrapped Plan for UFC White House Fight

The UFC’s top-ranked lightweight contender claims that the promotion originally had him lined up as Michael Chandler’s opponent at The White House.

Scheduled to take place on June 14, the card dubbed “UFC Freedom 250” is headlined by a lightweight title unification bout between undefeated star Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, who won the division’s interim belt for the second time when he took a unanimous decision over Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324.

The event currently features a total of seven fights after adding a heavyweight tilt between UFC record holder Derrick Lewis and Josh Hokit, and one of those matchups will see former Bellator titleholder Chandler attempt to snap a three-fight skid against Mauricio Ruffy.

Arman Tsarukyan Claims He Was Offered Michael Chandler Fight

Chandler always seemed like a lock for the UFC White House card even when it became clear that his long-awaited matchup with Conor McGregor wouldn’t be happening in June, but fellow lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan claims that he was originally lined up to face “Iron” instead of Ruffy.

“They wanted to match me with Chandler, but then realized it’s a bad fight for him,” Tsarukyan said on the PBD Podcast (h/t MMA Orbit). “He’s representing the U.S, and it’s like a 99.9% chance I beat him, so they went with Ruffy instead.”

Arman Tsarukyan during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The ever-patriotic Chandler is one of seven Americans that will be fighting at The White House on June 14. The card features two all-American matchups with the aforementioned Lewis vs. Hokit fight and a middleweight clash between Bo Nickal and Kyle Daukaus.

Michael Chandler (red gloves) fights against Paddy Pimblett (blue gloves) during UFC 314 at Kaseya Center. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Albuquerque-native Steve Garcia will also look to move closer towards featherweight title contention when he meets two-time title challenger Diego Lopes, and former UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley takes on Canada’s Aiemann Zahabi immediately before the two title bouts that will close out the night.

Tsarukyan Still Waiting For Shot at UFC Lightweight Title

Chandler finds himself lined as a sizeable underdog against Ruffy, but those odds may have been even longer if he’d been matched up with a fighter that many view as the rightful next challenger for the UFC lightweight title.

Ilia Topuria (red gloves) reacts after the fight against Charles Oliveira (blue gloves) during UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Currently on a five-fight win streak that began after a highly-controversial loss to Mateusz Gamrot in 2022, Tsarukyan most recently competed in the main event of UFC Qatar last November and submitted Dan Hooker in the second round. The 29-year-old was slated to challenge Islam Makhachev for the UFC lightweight belt at UFC 311 before an injury forced him out of the matchup on weigh-in day, and he’s been left hunting for another title opportunity ever since.

Tsarukyan has kept extremely active following his win over Hooker, though not in MMA. He’s competed in several grappling matches since UFC Qatar, and “Ahalkalakets” has also found considerable success on the wrestling mats with Real American Freestyle.

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