The lightweight division of the UFC has been thrown into chaos, and one fighter, Renato 'Moicano' Carneiro, is not holding back on his opinions. He believes that a single event, the withdrawal of Arman Tsarukyan from his title fight against Islam Makhachev, has had a massive impact on the entire division.
Tsarukyan was set to challenge Makhachev for the lightweight title at UFC 311, but an injury forced him to pull out just a day before the fight. 'Moicano' stepped in as a replacement and unfortunately suffered a submission loss. This set off a chain of events that has left the division in disarray.
Makhachev, after defeating 'Moicano', decided to move up to welterweight and dethroned Jack Della Maddalena to claim the title. Tsarukyan, on the other hand, was left out of the title picture as a consequence of his withdrawal. Ilia Topuria seized the opportunity, winning the vacant title by knocking out Charles Oliveira. Tsarukyan, feeling he deserved a shot at the title, was left disappointed as Topuria expressed interest in defending his belt against Paddy Pimblett.
However, a recent announcement by Topuria to take a hiatus from the sport due to personal reasons has further complicated matters. Now, Pimblett will face Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title at UFC 324 in Las Vegas. This interim title fight has left many, including Carneiro, feeling dissatisfied.
'Moicano' believes that Pimblett is not deserving of a title shot and partially blames Tsarukyan for the current state of the division. He argues that Tsarukyan's withdrawal disrupted the natural flow of the division, and now, with Topuria's absence, the interim champion will only be a 'paper champ'.
In an interview with Standmeup, Carneiro expressed his frustration, stating, "I don't feel that is fair. We live in an unfair world. Giving a title shot to Paddy Pimblett is unbelievable. Easy f—ing money. Who did he beat in the division? When I fought Makhachev, Arman was supposed to fight for the title, and he f—ed up the division. That's the truth."
The lightweight division's future is uncertain, and with Topuria's hiatus and the upcoming interim title fight, it seems the division is in a state of flux. The question remains: Will the lightweight division ever find stability, or will it continue to be a controversial and unpredictable arena?
