If Arman Tsarukyan is to one day fight for the UFC lightweight title, he is taking the scenic route to get there.

The 28-year-old Armenian, the winner of nine of his past ten bouts in the UFC cage, was scheduled to compete for the 155-pound title in January of this year against then-champ Islam Makhachev, but withdrew on the eve of the contest citing a back injury and forced the organisation to draft Renato Moicano into a short notice world title fight atop the UFC 311 card.

UFC boss Dana White has intimated that Tsarukyan will have to be on his best behaviour if he is to work his way back to title contention — but according to the new lightweight pacesetter Ilia Topuria, a world title fight won’t be in Tsarukyan’s immediate future.

“When you put so much effort [into] the game and you have a guy in front [of you], who you don’t know that maybe he could pull out from the fight, that’s not something good for us. ‘Oh my back.’ Bro, I don’t f—— care,” Topuria said on recent podcast appearance as noted by Bloody Elbow, suggesting that Tsarukyan cannot be relied upon to make it to a high profile fight.

“They are gonna give him a fight before the title shot because there’s no way. I’m the world champion, I’m never gonna give him a chance to fight for the world title. I would be like, listen, if that’s the case, take my belt. I don’t do it.”

Topuria, for his part, has suggested that his next title bout will come against one of two opponents: Justin Gaethje or Paddy Pimblett.

However, it was suggested this week by current featherweight champion and two-time lightweight title contender Alexander Volkanovski that Max Holloway’s recent win over Dustin Poirier may suitable position him for a rematch with Topuria, even after the Georgian defeated Holloway by knockout just last year.