Despite solidifying himself as the number one contender in the lightweight division with his latest win, Arman Tsarukyan has got some time on his hands.
The 27-year old stated that he was offered the lightweight title shot against Islam Makhachev on the same night that he defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 300.
He turned that opportunity down due to wanting more time to prepare and with Dustin Poirier stepping into his place at UFC 302, more time is certainly what he’s ended up with.
Makhachev was previously gearing up for a return to Abu Dhabi in October but a recently announced hand injury means that his huge rematch with Tsarukyan will be pushed back once again.
Instead, the next in line for a shot at the 155-pound title is keeping himself busy by coaching a similar series to The Ultimate Fighter, alongside another big name on the UFC roster.
Arman Tsarukyan Describes What It’s Like To Coach Against Khamzat Chimaev On Russian Reality TV Series
It was announced several months ago that Tsarukyan was set to feature on a reality TV series where both he and Khamzat Chimaev will coach competing teams.
Hype Reality 3 sees them go up against one another and as you can always expect when you have world class athletes involved, things are getting competitive as Tsarukyan detailed in a recent interview with Submission Radio.
“It’s good and I want to beat him, he wants to beat me so I train my fighters very well to win [against] his fighters.”
He went on to say that whilst both men are doing what they can to ensure the best results for their teams, tensions haven’t boiled over like they have done in previous seasons of The Ultimate Fighter.
“No, we have good relationship with Khamzat and that’s why we just like a sport you know. Who is going to win, nothing else, no drama.”
Read also: Umar Nurmagomedov Touts Bellator Champion As Islam Makhachev’s UFC Lightweight Successor
