Ilia Topuria is still brushing off Arman Tsarukyan’s skills as a legitimate threat.
Topuria and Tsarukyan have been trading words since June, when the Spaniard claimed the lightweight belt with a knockout win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317.
After taking over from Islam Makhachev as champion, many felt Tsarukyan deserved the first shot. But Justin Gaethje’s win over Paddy Pimblett for the interim belt set up a different unification bout against Topuria.
The champ seemed to have no issues with that route. He had already said he would vacate the belt before facing Tsarukyan, making his feelings on that fight clear.
Ilia Topuria says Arman Tsarukyan would be an ‘easy’ fight for him
Ilia Topuria’s latest remarks about Arman Tsarukyan came during an appearance on Adin Ross’ Kick stream, where he dismissed the idea that Tsarukyan would be his toughest challenge in the division.
During the conversation, Topuria went a step further, claiming that a fight with ‘Ahalkalakets’ would be straightforward and confident it wouldn’t pose much of a threat.
The champion didn’t stop there. He also questioned Tsarukyan’s finishing ability and suggested his style relies more on wearing down tired opponents than creating opportunities.
“He lost to Islam. He lost to (Mateusz) Gamrot. He got knocked out in the beginning of his career. And he doesn’t really have the ability to finish the fight,” said Topuria.
“He only finishes the fights when his opponent gets tired, and he just goes on the ground and does ground and pound and all that.”
Topuria finished by saying: “Arman, easy. Because he will panic. With me, he will panic.”
Ilia Topuria could move up to welterweight without ever facing Arman Tsarukyan
But it’s unlikely his prediction will ever be put to the test, with the pair appearing to be on different paths. Many believe a move up to 170 pounds is in Topuria’s near future, and Tsarukyan may not fit into those plans.
The popular expectation is for Topuria to return this summer for a title unification bout against Gaethje before making the jump to welterweight. If he does make that move, ‘El Matador’ will find himself in pursuit of another belt – looking to become only the third triple champion in UFC history.
The popular expectation is for Topuria to return this summer for a title unification bout against Gaethje before making the jump to welterweight. If he does make that move, ‘El Matador’ will find himself in pursuit of another belt – looking to become only the third triple champion in UFC history.
Despite being ranked number one by the time of his comments and being widely considered deserving of a shot at the belt, Tsarukyan was overlooked by Dana White and company due to an ongoing suspension by NAC which had kept him inactive until December 2024.
Topuria had shown no interest in defending his lightweight crown against Tsarukyan even after winning it from Makhachev. He previously stated that he’d rather vacate his title than face him.
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