UFC No. 2-ranked lightweight might be getting snubbed in his own promotion. However, outside of it, the Armenian somehow continues to make big fights. On March 11, Arman Tsarukyan defeated former UFC flyweight star Muhammad Mokaev at Hype FC Brazil in a 10-minute submission-only grappling match to win the promotion’s belt. Soon after, he called out Charles Oliveira and Dillon Danis for a fight.
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Whether the potential Oliveira fight materializes will ultimately be up to the UFC. But Dillon Danis, who has long campaigned to be signed by the UFC, wasted no time accepting the challenge, calling the potential bout, “Free money”. Now, it appears that Hype FC has also given the matchup the green light. Speaking to Red Corner MMA recently, Hype FC CEO Armand Martirosian shared the update with fans.
“Yes, Arman will be in São Paulo on April 8,” Martirosian confirmed. “And his opponent is, this is exclusively for Red Corner MMA, it will be Dillon Danis. The odds of it happening are 99.9 percent.”
Arman’s next fight under the Hype FC banner would be only his third. The 29-year-old previously faced Shara ‘Bullet’ Magomedov on December 30, 2025, in Yerevan, Armenia, with the bout ending in a draw after neither fighter managed to secure a submission. Aside from that appearance, the 29-year-old has also competed under the Real American Freestyle (RAF) banner, where he already has a highly anticipated rematch with Georgio Poullas scheduled for March 28 at RAF 7.
🚨BREAKING!!!
Arman Tsarukyan will face Dillon Danis in São Paulo, Brazil on April 8. Hype FC boss Armand Martirosian told Red Corner MMA,
Although he added that he gives a 99.9% chance of this grappling match happening. pic.twitter.com/waQMmFZhJq
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) March 13, 2026
He defeated Lance Palmer at RAF 5 in January and later faced Georgio Poullas in February. The first Poullas fight made headlines as a result of a post-fight brawl between Arman and Poullas’ team. During the match, Poullas repeatedly pushed and shoved the 29-year-old, which ultimately led to the UFC star unleashing several punches and elbows immediately after he got the win. This has set him up for a rematch with the NCAA Division I wrestling standout.
Dillon Danis, on the other hand, has yet to fight in the RAF or Hype FC. Ahead of his match with Arman Tsarukyan, he is already set to make his RAF debut with a cruiserweight bout against former UFC champion Colby Covington in the co-main event of the Tsarukyan vs. Poullas 2 card on March 28 in Tampa, Florida.
Arman Tsarukyan’s vigorous activity outside the UFC comes after he was snubbed for a title shot against Ilia Topuria. Despite being the No. 1-ranked lightweight at the time, the promotion chose to book Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett for an interim lightweight title fight. The winner, of course, is now scheduled to face Topuria on the White House card on June 14. However, things are looking better for the Armenian.
Arman Tsarukyan shares good news about his next UFC fight
Due to his antics outside of the Octagon, like the time Arman punched a fan or head-butted Dan Hooker during their face-off, his relationship with Dana White has deteriorated. Speaking after the grappling win over Muhammad Mokaev, Tsarukyan addressed speculation about his relationship with White.
“I don’t know why Dana speaks ill of me, but I have no problem with [the UFC] or any behind-the-scenes issues,” Tsarukyan said. “There’s no point in addressing [White], because I don’t negotiate with him.”
Instead, the Armenian fighter confirmed he has been communicating directly with UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell.
“I need to ask Hunter for a fight. We talked this morning, and he gave me a date for my next fight.”
Meanwhile, he also appeared on the JAXXON Podcast recently, which was recorded before UFC 326, where he revealed the timeline for his next bout.
“We are waiting for the Ilia vs. Justin [fight],” Tsarukyan said. “And after that, I’ll fight them… It’s not official, but they say like that… And I can fight with the winner of Oliveira and Holloway as well, because I don’t want to wait too much. So, if they offer me Oliveira and Holloway, I’ll fight them because I don’t want to wait one year for the fight.”
With Oliveira emerging as the new BMF champion at UFC 326, it’s possible Arman Tsarukyan gets matched against the Brazilian. However, the UFC has already revealed every headline fight for their events until June 14, and the Armenian is nowhere to be seen. So, if he ends up fighting ‘Do Bronx’ next, it will likely come after the historic White House card.
The 29-year-old last competed in the UFC in November, when he submitted Dan Hooker to strengthen his position as the division’s No. 1 contender. He has since been dethroned by Justin Gaethje.
Tsarukyan’s strategy of staying active and controversial outside the Octagon is a clear gamble to force the UFC’s hand, with the upcoming Danis match serving as his most high-profile move yet to reclaim his spot in the title conversation.
