Lightweight UFC champion Ilia Topuria made it evidently clear that he does not view the No. 2 ranked Arman Tsarukyan as a threat in the octagon, saying he is willing to fight him if the UFC wants it.
Ilia Topuria is expected to defend his UFC lightweight title against interim champion Justin Gaethje upon his return to action this year, but the potential future match with Tsarukyan is the one everyone seems to be talking about.
The Armenian missed his opportunity to challenge Islam Makhachev when he carried the title, as Tsarukyan suffered an injury just before the planned fight. More recently, he was not offered to compete for the interim title, and the opportunity went to Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett instead. Now, he has his eye on the winner of Topuria vs. Gaethje, and many feel he should rightfully expect that offer to come his way.
But the ever-confident Topuria is not worried about this future matchup and even expressed that Tsarukyan will panic when he gets inside the octagon with such a high-level competitor. Additionally, ‘El Matador’ stated that his toughest challenges in the octagon have already occurred, indicating that Tsarukyan does not stand out on his list of rivals.
Ilia Topuria tells Adin Ross that heās down to fight Arman Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje on the same night ššš„š„pic.twitter.com/QB86j6xlnA
ā Deluxe (@yourboydeluxe) February 27, 2026
ā[Arman Tsarukyan is] my toughest challenge? No way. Iāve already had my toughest challenges. If they [UFC] call and give me Arman, no problem. I will fight him.
āI donāt like to say who he fought, because thereās not an easy fight in the UFC. Everyone is a tough opponent. Thatās one of the reasons why theyāre fighting in the biggest promotion in the world. But he lost to Islam [Makhachev]. He lost to [Mateusz] Gamrot. He got knocked out in the beginning of his career. And he doesnāt really have the ability to finish the fight. He only finishes the fights when his opponent gets tired, and he just goes on the ground and does the ground and pound and all that.
āBut if he faced someone who really has that preparation, has that cardio, he doesnāt get scared if he goes to the ground, heās going to suffer.ā
āArman, easy. Because he will panic,ā Tsarukyan said. āWith me, he will panic. Whatās he going to do? I always used to say, when Iām in training camp, I know how it feels when you feel pain. I know how it feels when you feel tired. I know how it feels when you feel like you canāt do more, and you keep doing it. I know about myself that thereās not a situation that Iām going to give up.
(h/t MMAFighting.com)