The Daniel Cormier Show - DC says IT'S CRAZY Justin Gaethje & Pimblett are fighting INSTEAD OF Arman Tsarukyan

Summary

Podcast Summary:

The Herd with Colin Cowherd – The Daniel Cormier Show
Episode: DC says IT'S CRAZY Justin Gaethje & Pimblett are fighting INSTEAD OF Arman Tsarukyan
Date: December 11, 2025
Host: Daniel Cormier (DC)
Podcast Produced by: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume

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Overview

In this episode, Daniel Cormier passionately discusses the UFC lightweight division shakeup, focusing on the upcoming matchup between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett, and questions why Arman Tsarukyan—widely regarded as a top contender—is being sidelined. Cormier analyzes the fighters’ trajectories, organizational decisions, and the behind-the-scenes moves affecting title contention. The conversation dives into promotional politics, athlete perspectives, and the state of the division.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Surprise over Gaethje vs. Pimblett Booking

Timestamps: 04:47–07:09

• Cormier reveals he learned about the Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett booking secondhand, despite his close friendship with Gaethje.

• He jokes about how secretive Gaethje was about the fight announcement.

  Notable Quote:

  “So Justin and I are friends. So I call him and start giving him. I go, hey, so I'm just a normal person now, I gotta find out about the fight from just a normal per[son]... He tried to pretend that he had no idea. I don't buy that for a second.” — Daniel Cormier (05:18)

• Cormier notes that Gaethje had previously implied he’d either get a title shot or contemplate retirement, making the Pimblett matchup unexpected.

• He remarks on Paddy Pimblett’s impressive physical conditioning well ahead of the fight:

  “Paddy Pimlett, by the way, looked in phenomenal shape in Las Vegas and he's still eight weeks away from the fight. He is not Fatty Patty at all, guys.” (07:09)

2. Tsarukyan’s Status as a Contender

Timestamps: 06:08–07:42 / 11:09–15:05

• DC outlines that fans and many within the MMA community assumed Arman Tsarukyan’s dominant win over Dan Hooker had cemented his claim to a title shot.

• He highlights the sense that Tsarukyan “was next” in line, especially with Islam Makhachev leaving the division and Ilya Topuria dealing with personal issues:

  “We as the MMA community operated as if him going out there and fighting Dan Hooker was going to be enough to warrant him getting a championship opportunity.” (06:32)

• The announcement of an interim title bout upended these expectations, raising questions about the UFC’s decision-making priorities.

3. UFC Promotional Decisions & Dana White’s Comments

Timestamps: 10:53–14:38

• Cormier talks about the consequences of Tsarukyan losing a main event fight in Los Angeles on short notice—a “massive black eye for a fighter and a promotion.”

• He discusses the internal calculus the UFC employs around rewarding or sidelining fighters after missed opportunities:

  “When these fights are put together and they're built for something, sponsors are brought on... Getting a fight ready to go to market is a big deal. So anytime a fight gets canceled 24 hours before a fight, it's not good.” (11:09)

• The host details Tsarukyan's efforts to get back in the UFC’s good graces: successfully weighing in as a backup for a title fight, and dominating Dan Hooker.

• However, Dana White’s cryptic public statements—“Armin knows”—signal that there may be conditions or hurdles Tsarukyan must clear out of the spotlight:

  “When Dana says Armin knows, what did they talk about privately, that we don't know?... Maybe these guys have spoken about something and he has parameters set in front of him...” (13:49, 14:03)

4. Assessment of Tsarukyan’s Abilities and Path Forward

Timestamps: 14:38–15:54

• Cormier praises Tsarukyan’s skillset, suggesting many believe he’s the top lightweight after Makhachev.

• He sees Tsarukyan’s “nightmare” style as a major threat to everyone near the belt.

• DC warns, however, that unless Tsarukyan keeps active, he risks being leapfrogged by interim or BMF titleholders.

• He finds it “crazy” that a fighter widely considered the number one contender is stuck in limbo.

  Notable Quote:

  “I think it's crazy. I think this guy's number one contender if you get an opportunity.” — Daniel Cormier (15:47)

5. Fan Engagement and Call to Action

Timestamp: 15:54–16:22

• DC directly invites listeners to weigh in via comments and polls:

  “Let me know what you guys think. Jump in those comments. Tell me what you think about Arman Tsarukyan and where he should be fighting and who he should be fighting. And Luis is going to throw a poll in that we want to kind of know. Arman Tsarukyan or Ilia Toporia. Let us hear those thoughts.” (15:54)

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Cormier’s disbelief at the matchmaking:
  “I think it's crazy. I think this guy's number one contender if you get an opportunity.” (15:47)
• On behind-the-scenes UFC politics:
  “When Dana says Armin knows... I'm like, well, maybe these guys have spoken about something and he has parameters set in front of him that will then tell him when it's his time to fight for the UFC championship.” (14:03)
• On Pimblett’s preparation:
  “He is not Fatty Patty at all, guys. He looked in great shape as he's getting ready to fight JG.” (07:11)

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Important Timestamps

• 04:47 – DC reacts to Gaethje/Pimblett fight announcement
• 06:08 – Tsarukyan’s contender status and community expectations
• 07:09 – Cormier’s comments on Pimblett’s shape
• 11:09 – On main event cancellations and UFC business mechanics
• 13:49 – “Armin knows” and speculative organizational hurdles
• 15:05 – Why Tsarukyan’s style makes him so dangerous to the division
• 15:47 – DC’s key opinion: “Number one contender” statement

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Conclusion

Daniel Cormier voices strong skepticism and frustration over the UFC’s recent matchmaking decisions, highlighting the displacement of clear contenders like Arman Tsarukyan for more marketable match-ups such as Gaethje vs. Pimblett. He dissects the business, promotional, and athletic factors at play, speculates about internal communications between UFC executives and fighters, and emphasizes Tsarukyan’s elite status in the division. DC ends by urging the community to participate in the discussion and share their views on who truly deserves the next title shot.

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Transcript

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What's up guys? Welcome to a brand new episode of DCTV brought to you by Total Wireless, the official wireless provider of USC. They're in your corner with unlimited 5G data. That will not slow you down. Guys. You know when we were in Vegas last weekend for the pay per view, we had all these fights. They had one of those season kickoff pressers that we used to do and we got a number of fights. One fight that we got that honestly started to break before it became known was Justin Gaethje versus Patty Pimblett. Now, Justin Gaethje pretty much said if he didn't get the title fight, he was going to retire from fighting. You know what's funny? I heard about the fight. So Justin and I are friends. So I call him and start giving him. I go, hey, so I'm just a normal person now I gotta find out about the fight from just a normal per. Like, like everybody else. He's like, wait, what you're telling me? I was like, I'm not telling you. But he tried to pretend that he had no idea. I don't buy that for a second. I believe that he knew. He didn't tell me because I do this now.

Oh, and.

I found out from the manager of the guy who many thought was in the title fight and he wasn't Armand. SRU camp Armand Trukian came on the channel two days after his fight and he spoke about beating Dan Hooker and how he felt that would be enough to warrant a championship opportunity.

We as the MMA community operated as if him going out there and fighting Dan Hooker was going to be enough to warrant him getting a championship opportunity. There's a large section of the mixed martial arts fan base who believes that now that Islam Makhachev is not at 155 anymore or Mons Rukyan may be the only guy that truly can challenge Ilya to Poirier. With that being said, we just kind of thought he was next. It just felt like he was next. I made a video talking about how I believe he was next.

But now has been completely debunked not only by the idea or honestly the fact of Justin Gaethje and Patty Pimblett fighting each other. Patty Pimlett, by the way, looked in phenomenal shape in Las Vegas and he's still eight weeks away from the fight. He is not Fatty Patty at all, guys. He looked in great shape as he's getting ready to fight jg.

Anyhow.

We as a community of people who watch this thing kind of felt like he was going to be next. The interim title fight gets announced it Vin immediately throws things up in arms like, well then what's it mean for Tsarukian? Because generally the timeline works like this. Champion goes out. Ilya is having some personal issues and hats off to Ilya for being honest about that. Hopefully Ilya can get through that and get back to doing what makes him so special sooner rather than later. Because he is the best, I said. Or am I maybe the guy that can challenge him? Because not many have proven to have the ability to challenge him lately. He has been that good. Judgment day. A colossal global showdown between two of boxing's biggest stars. The Disruptor international superstar in WBA, number 14, ranked cruiserweight Jake El Gallo Del Dorado Paul, who's 121 with seven knockouts in two time unified WBO, WBA, an IBF heavyweight world champion and guys, he also was an Olympic gold medalist. The knockout artist that is Anthony Joshua. Joshua, by the way, is 28 and 4 with 25 knockouts. This matchup unites Jake Paul, the sport's most watched fighter whose showmanship has kind of honestly, he's redefined boxing or modern boxing for the record and he shattered records at every single turn. You can love him or hate him, but this is just the truth. Anthony Joshua is one of boxing's most accomplished, respected. He's also one of the most feared punchers in the world of boxing. In two times he unified the heavyweight division. This dude has headlined sold out stadiums across the UK and beyond. Jake Paul will face the most dangerous, the most dangerous and defining fight of his entire career against Joshua, Britain's two time unified heavyweight world champion and also the Olympic gold medalist. It's crazy how Anthony Joshua's Olympic gold medal is like secondary to everything he's done in boxing because he's been so good. They'll fight in a professional heavyweight mega fight. It's going to be scheduled for eight three minute rounds. They'll fight in 10 ounce gloves. So watch. Jake Paul versus Anthony Joshua. Friday, December 19th, 8:00pm Eastern, 5:00pm Pacific Standard Time live only on Netflix. What an event. This is going to be crazy. But then Dana's at the post fight press conference the other day and he's asked about Armin Tsurukian. And guys, we know that when Armin Tsurukian didn't fight in Los Angeles, that is a massive black eye for a fighter and a promotion. And guess what? Rightfully so. Rightfully so. And anybody that tells you any different, they're not being completely truthful. Because anytime you lose a main event, it doesn't matter what happens as the chips fall, you still lost the main event. When these fights are put together and they're built for something, sponsors are brought on.

Promotional materials are taken care of. Getting a fight ready to go to market is a big deal. So anytime a fight gets canceled 24 hours before a fight, it's not good.

And it sounded like right after that army was going to have to do a lot of good favor to get back into position A to fight for the belt. Here's where I thought he had done that. Here's why I thought he had done that. I thought that when Charles Oliveira fought Ilia and he weighs in as the backup fighter, I mean the backup fighter is probably the most.

I mean it's the most unthankful job in fighting because you get into a training camp, cut all the way to, you make the weight and you really get nothing but your show money.

To go for it. You don't get to fight. That's what you want to do. You don't get to do that. You go step on that scale and unless something happens, you don't get to fight. And most times nothing happens. It most Times, nothing happens.

You know what's kind of. You know what's kind of like poetic justice is that when he waved in as the backup fighter, if anything would have happened like happened with him in January, he would have gotten that title opportunity. But we all kind of expected him to do that. Good favor. Then he goes and fights Dan Hooker, smashes him, completely destroys him. Good favor. You should think that that would be enough for him to say, but here's where, where, where. My biggest question is when Dana says Armin knows. When he says Armin knows, I'm like, well, are they already speaking to him about this and what he's doing? Because he goes, I wouldn't say that Armin is the odd man out. He said he had an opportunity. You guys know how that played out. He's going to have to work his way back. I don't give a shit what number is next to your name. You're going to have to work your way back. Look again, I get it. But weighing in as the backup fighter, fighting Dan Hooker, those are all steps towards regaining that confidence in the organization to get him a title fight. I still believe that Armature should be fighting for some version of the UFC lightweight championship.

But when Dana says Armin knows, what did they talk about privately? That we don't know.

Is there a set of.

Of. Of stops? Maybe there's a set of obstacles or hurdles or there's a baseline of what he needs to do in order to get back there. And we just don't know about it because he goes. Armin knows. He didn't say, well, Armin just ain't getting it. He said, Armin knows. When I hear that, I'm like, well, maybe these guys have spoken about something and he has parameters set in front of him that will then tell him when it's his time to fight for the UFC championship.

He's so good, though, that I don't know how many fights are risky enough to really stop him from winning his way back to an opportunity to fight for the belt. A lot of people believe he's the best lightweight in the world, that Islam's gone. I'm not saying I'm one of them, but there are a number of people that believe that he deserves a title fight.

He deserves a title fight. His style is a nightmare for every guy that's right now hanging around the belt. But if he doesn't get moving, there's going to be an interim champion in January. The champion is going to be back sometimes next year. The BMF title is on the line. Max Holloway defends that thing again. Now he is a viable challenge for the lightweight championship. Arvin Tsarukian, by doing those things, haven't gotten closer to a title fight. I would say he's either exactly where he started and if we get through January, I don't know if he's going to be further away than he was. I think it's crazy. I think it's crazy. I think this guy's number one contender if you get an opportunity. But let me know what you guys think. Jump in those comments. Tell me what you think about Armin Tsarukyan and where he should be fighting and who he should be fighting. And Luis is going to throw a poll in that we want to kind of know. Arman Tsarukian or Ilia Toporia. Let us hear those thoughts. Until next time guys. Like subscribe and tell your friends. I got a YouTube channel. I'm doing things like this. Until next time.

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This podcast is sponsored by Total Wireless, the official wireless partner of ufc. When you're streaming the fight or sharing those takedown highlights, you need a wireless provider that keeps you close to the action. With Total Wireless, you're covered by the Verizon 5G network, so you don't have to worry about your connection being knocked out at the biggest moments. It's not something you can usually say about a wireless provider, but Total Wireless really does have your back. They're in your corner every second of the day, so you never miss a thing. Visit totalwireless.com or visit your local Total Wireless Store to learn more about how Total Wireless is can be in your corner. 5G access requires a 5G capable device and a 5G service area. Additional terms apply. See website for details. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.