Injury alarm for Arman Tsarukyan — Will his White House backup stint cost him the fight with Tony Ferguson?

Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC

Arman Tsarukyan is well aware of what’s coming his way before the June White House card.

Dana White, speaking during fight week in Newark, mentioned that Tsarukyan will serve as the backup for the lightweight title unification fight set for June 14.

Even though he’s not directly involved in the main event, Tsarukyan’s profile has been steadily rising over recent months. There’s been growing support for his place at the top level of mixed martial arts.

Tony Ferguson will be standing across from him next, and with a wrestling match also on his calendar this month, Tsarukyan knows it could end up being a real challenge to manage everything.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Arman Tsarukyan plans to grapple cautiously against Tony Ferguson

If Arman Tsarukyan is called up to the main event at the White House card on June 14, he could find himself fighting twice in just two days.

Speaking in a video with Adam Zubayraev, Tsarukyan said he intends to “grapple calmly” and put on a show against Tony Ferguson on June 13.

“Well, yeah, he might pull off some weird submission or something, you know,” he said. “Could cause an injury. That’s why you have to be careful with him. Take him down ten times in a row and toss him aside.”

If it looks like there’s a real chance he’ll be needed for the White House card, it’s likely Tsarukyan would opt out of his match with Ferguson rather than try to handle both.

Even though the odds are low, there’s always a scenario where he could finish the Ferguson fight and then get the call less than 24 hours before the title bout.

Missing out on a title shot because of a match fought just one day earlier would be tough for someone many believe is already among the best lightweights in the sport.