Arman Tsarukyan issues brutally honest opinion on Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett fight at UFC 314: "It's just hype fight"

Arman Tsarukyan has put forth his brutally honest assessment of the Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett showdown that's set to take place at UFC 314. Tsarukyan took aim at both Chandler and Pimblett, implying that neither of them are on his level.

Tsarukyan has often traded barbs with America's Chandler in the past. He'd also called out England's Pimblett a few years back. Tsarukyan, a Georgia-born Armenian who has extensively trained in Russia, is currently beheld as one of the best lightweight MMA fighters in the world. 'Akhalkalakets' is ranked No. 1 in the official UFC lightweight rankings.

Meanwhile, Chandler stands at the No. 7 position, while Pimblett holds the No. 12 spot. Presently, Chandler is scheduled to take on Pimblett in a highly anticipated lightweight bout that'll co-headline UFC 314 on April 12.

During a recent interview with The Schmo, Arman Tsarukyan was questioned about who he's picking to win in the upcoming Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett matchup. Tsarukyan responded by jabbing at both fighters:

"I got -- I don't know. They're both not good. So, I don't follow them. So, it's like, 50-50 fight. It's just hype fight. They're not like -- I don't watch their fights because they're not on my level."

The Schmo then chimed in and indicated that Tsarukyan only watches fights that are on his level. The UFC lightweight agreed, saying:

"Sure. Yeah. It's top-five fighters or real contenders fights' fighter."

Check out Tsarukyan's comments below (5:12):

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Arman Tsarukyan vs. Michael Chandler feud: Rumored potential fight, the archrivals' future

Arman Tsarukyan was outpointed by Islam Makhachev in their short-notice showdown in 2019. Subsequently, Tsarukyan consistently maintained that he wouldn't rematch Makhachev on short notice.

In 2024, Michael Chandler criticized Tsarukyan's decision to decline a UFC lightweight title fight against Makhachev at UFC 302.

Taking to X, Tsarukyan fired back by jabbing that Chandler had a penchant for losing exciting fights:

"I don't expect you to understand @MikeChandlerMMA. We are not on the same level. I am here to be the champ. You are just waiting for a paycheck. I also don't understand why you waited Conor fight for 2 years, you could've lost 4 exciting fights during that time"

In addition to various instances of Arman Tsarukyan and Michael Chandler engaging in verbal sparring on social media and in interviews, their feud appeared to reach a crescendo earlier this year amid reports of a potential fight. Per Manouk Akopyan, negotiations were underway for a possible clash between the two at UFC 314.

The Tsarukyan-Chandler fight didn't materialize, as Chandler was instead booked to fight Paddy Pimblett.

On the other hand, Tsarukyan withdrew from his title fight against UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 this past January.

Tsarukyan recently hinted that he's eyeing a return in April or May of 2025 and aims to beat an elite contender to earn a crack at the title.