Gaethje Doubts Tsarukyan's Back Injury Story

Justin Gaethje suspects Arman Tsarukyan withdrew from his January title shot against Islam Makhachev due to weight-cutting troubles rather than the back injury the contender cited.

Tsarukyan pulled out of the UFC 311 main event hours before weigh-ins, claiming he injured his back during the cut. Renato Moicano stepped in on short notice and was submitted in the first round. The withdrawal drew criticism from UFC CEO Dana White, who said Tsarukyan created additional problems behind the scenes, per BJPENN.com.

Gaethje Questions Weight Cut Narrative

Speaking with UFC Hall of Famer Demetrious Johnson, Gaethje laid out his theory. "The truth is, he wasn't gonna make weight, so he dropped out," Gaethje said. "If it was his back and there was a medical report on paper with the UFC, then he wouldn't be suffering like this."

Gaethje speculated that Tsarukyan's body may have shut down during the weight cut, leaving him unable to reach the 155-pound limit. He even floated the possibility of a failed negotiation tactic. "Maybe he was like, 'My body's shutting down and I'm not gonna make weight, but if you were to pay me more money then I would push through this and I would make weight,' and if someone ever did that, then I could see them never getting a championship fight," Gaethje told Johnson.

Tsarukyan faces Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 on Sept. 19. His team believes a win will secure another title shot. Gaethje, the current lightweight champion, reportedly won't defend his belt until 2027.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Justin Gaethje doubts Arman Tsarukyan injured his back prior to nixed 2025 title shot: “He wasn’t gonna make weight”