Arman Tsarukyan recently fired back at Ilia Topuria after the lightweight champion pushed for a fight with Paddy Pimblett. Tsarukyan holds the No. 1 ranking at lightweight, and felt annoyed by Topuria’s comments. He accused ‘El Matador’ of pursuing favorable matchups.
Tsarukyan, 29, earned a submission win over Dan Hooker in the UFC Qatar headliner last Saturday. After the fight, he called for a title shot. However, ‘El Matador’ later dismissed the idea on social media, claiming he did not deserve the opportunity.
A clip from an interview with Topuria surfaced on social media. In the clip, Topuria named Pimblett as his ideal next opponent if he could not fight Islam Makhachev.
“I have Paddy [Pimblett] on my mind,” Topuria told Spanish outlet Eurosport Espana. “I’d like to fight Paddy if [the UFC] don’t let me move up to welterweight to fight Islam [Makhachev].”
Tsarukyan reposted the clip and questioned Topuria for avoiding a fight with him.
“Could it be any more obvious that el pato is doing everything in his power to avoid fighting me?” Tsarukyan wrote on X.
‘Ahalkalakets’ already made it known that he would fight Topuria on the UFC’s first event on Paramount in January. He said that he left his fight with Hooker unscathed and ensured that he would be ready for a quick turnaround.
Arman Tsarukyan Doubles Down on Ilia Topuria Criticism
Arman Tsarukyan later repeated his criticism of Ilia Topuria and is hopeful the UFC will honor the rankings. He believes that the lightweight champion should face the top contender.
Tsarukyan claimed that Topuria wanted an easier fight and understood that he posses a much greater threat than Pimblett.
Speaking with The Ariel Helwani Show, Tsarukyan expressed clear disappointment with Topuria. He compared his own resume with Pimblett’s and stressed his need for a fair process.
“How can you beat a No. 12 or No. 13 and become No. 5? I was beating everybody in our division,” Tsarukyan said. “I was on a five or six-fight win streak to get top-15. [Pimblett] just beat six people and he’s No. 5.”
Tsarukyan Explains Importance of a Fight with Topuria
Tsarukyan also explained the importance of fighting Topuria to He said a win over ‘El Matador’ meant more than avenging his loss to Islam Makhachev.
He had prepared to face Makhachev at UFC 311 but withdrew due to a back injury.
Makhachev then moved to welterweight, which changed Tsarukyan’s path. The No. 1 ranked UFC lightweight said his focus now centered on the lightweight title. He said he wanted to become champion and and defend it often.
Tsarukyan noted that he still respects his history with Makhachev. However, he said the Dagestani will not return to lightweight. Because of that, he plans to focus on the current champion.
“My focus is 155 [pounds], it’s Ilia. I want to get [the] title here. I’m a real 155 pound fighter, and that’s why I wanna be a champion here and defend that title as much as possible,” Tsarukyan said during his appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show. “I do have history with Islam, but he moved to 170 [pounds] and he’s not going to come down anymore.”
Tsarukyan then explained that he dislikes Topuria and accused him of acting fake when cameras are around.
“[Topuria] is a fake,” Tsarukyan told Ariel Helwani. “In real life, he behaves different. On camera, he’s talking [expletive] and a completely different guy.”
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