Bad blood is brewing between UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and top contender Arman Tsarukyan.
Ilia Topuria rose to the UFC’s pound-for-pound No. 1 spot with a vicious knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. Topuria became the newest in a distinguished group of UFC elites to earn championships in multiple divisions.
After knocking out Oliveira at UFC 317, Topuria had a heated faceoff with Paddy Pimblett in the middle of the cage. Many have speculated Topuria vs. Pimblett might be the following lightweight title fight, despite Arman Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje also in the combo for Topuria’s first lightweight title defense.
While Tsarukyan may need to win a minimum of yet one more fight before earning one other title shot, he’s garnered the eye of the lightweight champion.
Ilia Topuria hits back at ‘total jerk’ Arman Tsarukyan over post-UFC 317 comments
Tsarukyan has been dismissive of Topuria’s performance at UFC 317, accusing the newly-crowned lightweight champion of being one-dimensional. He pointed to one in all Topuria’s featherweight wins for instance of a few of his weaknesses.
Just after UFC 317, Tsarukyan was asked how he’d approach a possible fight with Topuria in a recent chat with The Recent York Post.
“I’ll just take him down, hold him and just maul him,” Tsarukyan declared.
“I’ll finish him on the bottom. He’s not gonna give you the option to flee from me. He’s good at one thing, boxing!”
In a recent interview with ABC Spain, Topuria responded to Tsarukyan.
“He’s a complete jerk! Have you ever seen his fight against Charles Oliveira? How persistently he was on the verge of submitting him and tapping him out?” Topuria replied.
“He’s had so many submissions. He’s a complete jerk. I can assure you, I’ll finish Arman Tsarukyan.”
Topuria is targeting a return to the Octagon by 12 months’s end for his first lightweight title defense. Tsarukyan was speculated to fight Islam Makhachev for the title at UFC 311 before withdrawing as a consequence of a back injury, and he has yet to be booked for his next fight.
UFC CEO Dana White was non-committal on Topuria’s next opponent following UFC 317. Amid the constructing tensions between Topuria and Tsarukyan, the matchmakers may need their hands full.
Ilia Topuria’s UFC 317 weigh-in controversy prompted a powerful response from former referee
Just hours before knocking out Oliveira, Topuria was the middle of a bizarre moment on the UFC 317 ceremonial weigh-in. As he stepped on the size, Topuria’s weight was announced as 155.5 lbs, a half pound over the championship limit.
After a transient awkward moment, the Nevada State Athletic Commission official then announced that Topuria successfully made championship weight. Former referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy recently concluded that Topuria didn’t cheat, despite some believing Topuria didn’t make weight ahead of UFC 317.
Topuria has never missed weight in his UFC tenure.