Arman Tsarukyan has been forced to clear up a rumor that spread across the MMA world almost as quickly as it began.

Fans grew convinced over the weekend that the No. 2-ranked lightweight had agreed to fight the BMF champion Charles Oliveira in September at UFC 331 in Los Angeles. The speculation exploded after ‘Ahalkalakets’ mentioned a possible title fight and referenced the Brazilian during a video on his YouTube channel.

“My next fight is the title fight, which is probably in September in L.A.,” he said. “But I’m a backup for the White House, too, if someone pulls out or gets hurt. I may fight him again [Tsarukyan points at Charles Oliveira].”

The problem? None of it was actually official. Arman Tsarukyan told Ariel Helwani that people misinterpreted what he was trying to say. According to the Armenian, he was only discussing possible options for his future, not announcing a finalized bout.

“Yeah, today on my YouTube, I said I might fight in September,” Tsarukyan clarified. “And everybody thought, Arman is officially fighting. I said I might fight this guy; it was Olivera because, you know, you never know.

“And I said I might fight him too. And like, people just started posting that I’m fighting with him.”

When Ariel Helwani specifically asked him to confirm whether a fight against ‘Do Bronx’ had been booked, Arman Tsarukyan immediately shut the rumor down.

“No, not official,” he continued. “Like, I didn’t say, like, 100% I’m gonna fight him. I said I might fight him as well, so. It could happen, you know. My fight can be in September, October, December, you know, you never know. Maybe next year.

“Who knows what the UFC wants to do or who I’m fighting next? I’m fighting the winner of Topuria vs. Gaethje. If it’s Topuria, then probably at the end of the year, and if it’s Gaethje, it’ll be September or maybe October.”

As such, Arman Tsarukyan appears to be just as unsure about his next fight as everyone else. However, what he is certain about is that he will fight for the title next. He intends to face the winner of the upcoming lightweight title battle between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje at the UFC White House on June 14. If not, a BMF title fight is just as interesting to him.

That timeline actually explains why ‘Ahalkalakets’ can’t give a firm answer right now. The whole lightweight division is essentially waiting for the outcome of UFC White House before the next title picture becomes clear. For now, the 29-year-old is currently the official backup fighter for the historic White House card.

However, he has already revealed that he would only accept a late-notice replacement role if given at least a week’s warning to safely make weight. Until then, his attention will shift away from the Octagon and toward Real American Freestyle.

Arman Tsarukyan vs. Colby Covington gets a confirmed date after long wait

While Arman Tsarukyan waits for clarity on his UFC future, at least one of his long-running rivalries now has an official fight date. After months of trash talk and fruitless attempts to materialize the bout, ‘Ahalkalakets’ and Colby Covington will finally face off on July 18 in Milwaukee under the Real American Freestyle banner.

For a feud that has been brewing for most of the year, the confirmation removes one of the biggest question marks surrounding both men’s schedules. And to be fair, the matchup was not always that simple to put together because active UFC fighters don’t compete against each other in wrestling events.

That obstacle disappeared when ‘Chaos’ recently retired from MMA, allowing the RAF to finally book one of its most awaited matchups. And when Tsarukyan defeated Mugzy at RAF 9 this past weekend, he wasted no time calling out his future opponent.

“Tonight we’ve got Colby Covington,” Tsarukyan said. “I hope he’s going to win and then I can whoop his a– because number one MMA wrestler is me. And I’m going to show everybody who is the best MMA wrestler on these mats!”

Colby Covington, unsurprisingly, responded in typical fashion. After defeating Chris Weidman later that night, he confronted ‘Ahalkalakets’ in person and fired back with a verbal shot of his own.

“Arman, you’re a spoiled little brat,” he said. “You’ve been talking the talk, now let’s see if you can walk the walk!

“Gas up your daddy’s jet, bring that little jezebel Nina Drama and I’ll see you in Milwaukee July 18.”

The promotion officially announced the match moments later, turning months of online back-and-forth into a real contest. So, while Arman Tsarukyan may still be waiting for his UFC title shot, he’ll get the opportunity to settle one personal score before returning his focus to the UFC title picture. But even that will require a little wait, as the Armenian is also gearing up to face Tony Ferguson at RAF 10 on June 13. Now that’s a busy man!