Arman Tsarukyan says he won't be left in the dark much longer. According to a report making the rounds on r/MMA, the lightweight contender says the UFC will let him know by the end of November whether champion Justin Gaethje intends to fight again or walk away from the sport.

Gaethje last fought on June 14, 2026, defeating Ilia Topuria by TKO (corner stoppage) at 5:00 of Round 4. Tsarukyan is waiting on Gaethje's decision about his future.

Tsarukyan, ranked number two at lightweight, has a case of his own to make while he waits. He most recently finished Mauricio Ruffy with an elbow in the first round on September 19, 2026, and sits at a 1760 Elo rating across 13 UFC bouts, the highest number of the three names in this story.

While the Gaethje situation sits in limbo, Tsarukyan isn't just sitting still. Per Ag Fight, he's opened the door to a fight against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, positioning himself as the top available name in the 70 kilogram range. He didn't pull any punches doing it either, saying of Volkanovski, 'He's old.'

Volkanovski, for his part, is coming off a second round knockout of Movsar Evloev on October 24, 2026, and still holds the featherweight belt. His 1505 Elo rating across six bouts is the lowest of the group, which only adds fuel to Tsarukyan's trash talk.

Where this all lands depends on what the UFC tells Tsarukyan about Gaethje. If Gaethje stays active, the Volkanovski callout could become the more realistic option for Tsarukyan to chase a title on his own terms.