The top of the UFC lightweight division is rarely a quiet place, and recent exchanges between the new champion, Ilia Topuria, and formidable contender Arman Tsarukyan have confirmed that tradition. Following Topuria`s impressive championship victory, Tsarukyan offered a rather blunt assessment of a potential matchup, which quickly drew a sharp retort from the man holding the belt.
Ilia Topuria recently claimed the UFC lightweight championship with a decisive performance at UFC 317. As champions often find, securing the title is merely the prelude to a chorus of call-outs and critiques from the hungry contenders waiting in the wings. Arman Tsarukyan, positioned near the top of the lightweight hierarchy and himself recently sidelined from a title opportunity due to injury, wasted little time in weighing in on Topuria`s skill set and how a fight between them might unfold.
In comments made shortly after UFC 317, Tsarukyan outlined a straightforward, albeit confident, game plan for facing Topuria. He suggested that he would “just take him down, hold him and just maul him,” predicting a finish on the ground. Tsarukyan`s assessment seemed to center on the belief that Topuria`s effectiveness is largely confined to striking, specifically boxing, labeling him as one-dimensional.
Unsurprisingly, these remarks did not go unnoticed by the reigning champion. In a subsequent interview, Ilia Topuria addressed Tsarukyan`s comments directly, dismissing them with considerable force. Topuria branded Tsarukyan a “total jerk” and pointed to Tsarukyan`s own prior performance against Charles Oliveira – the very fighter Topuria just defeated – as evidence that Tsarukyan is not without his own vulnerabilities, specifically mentioning moments where Tsarukyan was reportedly close to being submitted in that bout.
Topuria`s response was unambiguous, promising that should they ever meet inside the Octagon, he would “finish Arman Tsarukyan.” This public back-and-forth injects significant tension into the lightweight title picture, which already includes other prominent figures like Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje vying for the next shot at Topuria.
With Topuria targeting a return to the cage by the end of the year for his first defense, and Tsarukyan`s next fight yet to be officially scheduled following his withdrawal from a planned title fight, the lightweight landscape remains fluid. However, the verbal sparring between champion and contender ensures that a potential clash between Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan remains a highly anticipated prospect, adding a layer of personal animosity to the technical challenges each fighter presents.
Gareth Pendleton