UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan has delivered a surprising assessment following Ilia Topuria`s impressive victory at UFC 317.
Ilia Topuria achieved his goal of becoming a two-division UFC champion by securing a first-round knockout against Charles Oliveira. Just minutes into the fight, Topuria landed a decisive right hand that rendered Oliveira unconscious before he even hit the ground, a truly stunning moment.
Topuria`s win capped off an exciting night. Following his victory, he had a notable faceoff with Paddy Pimblett, sparking speculation about his first lightweight title defense.
Another top contender vying for the first title shot is Arman Tsarukyan. Tsarukyan served as the backup fighter for the UFC 317 main event and holds a recent victory over Charles Oliveira from UFC 300 last year.
Arman Tsarukyan Makes Bold Claims About Potential Ilia Topuria Matchup
While Tsarukyan may need another win to solidify his claim for a title opportunity, he is clearly anticipating a clash with Topuria. Drawing on his experience of defeating Oliveira at UFC 300, Tsarukyan believes a fight against Topuria would be less challenging.
During a recent interview with Daniel Cormier, Tsarukyan compared the potential matchup with Topuria to his previous bout against Oliveira.
Expressing confidence in his strategy, Tsarukyan stated:
“I’m going to strike him, kick him. I watched his first fight and he was wrestling a little bit, and he got so tired, and he’s never fought a wrestler like me.”
He further criticized Topuria`s grappling abilities, referencing another fighter:
“Bryce Mitchell, he’s the worst fighter at 145, he took him down and held him from a crazy position. And I can tell he’s not high-level, it’s not WWE. I can’t wait to show everybody…”
Tsarukyan concluded his bold prediction regarding Topuria:
“I’ll send Topuria back to the Top 15 pound-for-pound. For me, it’s easier to fight Topuria than Oliveira. You can go take him down a thousand times, because he’s not going to try to choke you or something.”
Tsarukyan was reportedly unhappy that Topuria faced off with Pimblett rather than himself after UFC 317. Several figures in the MMA community, including Demetrious Johnson, have publicly supported Tsarukyan as the most deserving challenger for Topuria`s first defense of the lightweight title.
Gareth Pendleton