Arman Tsarukyan claims Charles Oliveira made ‘excuse’ to avoid rematch

Arman Tsarukyan has accused Charles Oliveira of manufacturing an excuse to escape a rematch between the two lightweights. The pair were rumored to be booked for the co-main event of a UFC card on September 19 in Los Angeles, but Oliveira withdrew before the promotion officially announced the bout. Tsarukyan was subsequently rebooked against surging Brazilian contender Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331.

According to Tsarukyan, the UFC cited the recent death of Oliveira's longtime Chute Boxe teammate Alan Nascimento as the reason for the withdrawal, saying the Brazilian needed time away from training to grieve. However, Tsarukyan questioned the legitimacy of that claim. "I was supposed to be fighting Charles Oliveira in the co-main event, five rounds, when I was in the mountains they called me and said 'We've got a new name for you,'" Tsarukyan told Ariel Helwani. "[The UFC said] Charles' friend died and he cannot train. But I don't understand, in three or four days he's doing live streaming and back in camp."

Tsarukyan suggested Oliveira is instead angling for a matchup with Diego Lopes, a more favorable stylistic pairing. "They probably already set up a fight with Diego Lopes. [Oliveira] was just finding an excuse and now he's found the excuse," Tsarukyan said. The two fighters previously met at UFC 300, where Tsarukyan won via split decision—a result many observers believed favored Oliveira, making a rematch particularly contentious.