It was a real bummer for Arman Tsarukyan, who had worked his way to earn a lightweight title shot at UFC 311, but lost the chance to compete for the championship after a back injury just a day before his clash against Islam Makhachev. But what’s even more of a bummer is the fact that he will not get an immediate title fight on his return, as Dana White recently made it clear.

However, ‘Ahalkalakets’ wasn’t demoralized for losing out his title shot. In fact, the Armenian star is willing to put in the work to get back into title contention. “I’ll be ready to prove I’m the true #1 contender by taking on anyone they put in front of me,” the 28-year-old stated after Dana White’s statement on his future. But who would be the most logical opponent for him? Well, we have a few picks for Arman Tsarukyan when he returns to action inside the Octagon later in the year, starting with former champion, Charles Oliveira.

Arman Tsarukyan in a rematch against Charles Oliveira

One of the most obvious choices for an opponent for Arman Tsarukyan is staring right in the face of Dana White. Charles Oliveira lost to the Armenian star back when the pair met at UFC 300 by a very close margin, and in the wake of his recent win over Michael Chandler in a highlight of a fight, he’s also calling for a title shot against Islam Makhachev.

“This is my next step. This is what everybody knows. I want to be champion again,” Charles Oliveira stated, following his UFC 309 win. Well, he might end up getting into a rematch with Arman Tsarukyan because, on his journey back to the top, ‘Ahalkalakets’ claims to be willing to go five rounds once more against ‘Do Bronx’ in his next fight. “Charles Oliveira in 5 rounder makes most sense,” Tsarukyan recently posted on X.

Well, that’s one option Arman could take. However, if for some reason, Dana White considers putting Charles Oliveira in a title fight against Islam Makhachev, the Armenian star could shift his attention towards Michael Chandler, who also wants a piece of the action at lightweight.

Michael Chandler calls out Tsarukyan

Michael Chandler hasn’t had the best run in the UFC, as he only has two wins out of six Octagon appearances. One win was in his debut against Dan Hooker who he knocked out in impressive fashion, and the second – a knockout win over a washed-up Tony Ferguson. Moreover, his fight against Conor McGregor failed to materialize. Moreover, after his recent loss against Charles Oliveira, things aren’t looking too good for the former Bellator lightweight champion.

Regardless, we can never downplay the kind of action and excitement Michael Chandler brings to the table. A fight against a fighter as skilled as Arman Tsarukyan only adds to the excitement of seeing them inside the Octagon. After the 28-year-old’s willingness to make the climb again, Chandler appears to have stepped up and issued a challenge. “You don’t show up, you don’t get a shot. Beat me if you can,” ‘Iron’ recently tweeted.

However, Arman Tsarukyan is still adamant about fighting Charles Oliveira because of his top contender status, but he’s open to it. “I’m not against it, but fighting someone who beat you twice sounds way more compelling,” ‘Ahalkalakets’ responded.

Now, if the Michael Chandler matchup doesn’t materialize, there is one man who could be the prime opponent for a top lightweight like Tsarukyan. The final possible opponent for Arman Tsarukyan is a former featherweight champion, who’s making the move to 155 pounds.

#5-Ranked Max Holloway sits without an opponent

Since Arman Tsarukyan is the No.1 contender, it makes sense for him to fight someone in the top five. Hence, fighting Michael Chandler may not cut it for him, but someone who does make sense for him to fight is the former 2-time featherweight king, and current BMF champion, Max Holloway. Despite the fact that he’s ranked 2nd in the featherweight rankings, ‘Blessed’ also occupies the 5th spot in the lightweight rankings.

Moreover, Max Holloway announced that he is leaving the featherweight division after his UFC 308 loss, planning to start a “new chapter” in his already illustrious UFC career. “155, here we come and 155 is where I want to stay. This is a new chapter. This is where we start. This is where we begin,” Holloway stated on his YouTube channel.

“I was a champion. I defended at that weight. Now it’s time to move on to the next chapter, and in 155 there’s a bunch of fun fights that I cannot wait to take,” ‘Blessed’ added. The former featherweight champion has been one of the biggest draws in the UFC and after he proved that he can handle his business pretty well as a lightweight with his stellar UFC 300 buzzer-beater of a knockout, a fight against Arman Tsarukyan could be a very interesting one. Moreover, Tsarukyan stands to win the BMF belt with a possible win over the Hawaiian former 145-lb champion.

Who do you think is the best possible opponent for Arman Tsarukyan’s next outing? Will it be Charles Oliveira, Michael Chandler or Max Holloway? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.