Arman Tsarukyan stated that a fight with Islam Makhachev is unlikely to happen, predicting that Makhachev will retire after a couple more bouts. Tsarukyan expressed confidence that he will dominate the sport within the next year and become the face of UFC once he captures the title. Dana White commented that he likes Tsarukyan's current activity level and that all Arman needs to do now to earn a title shot is avoid behaving "like a maniac." In other news mentioned, Paulo Costa said he enjoys fighting Russians because they are tough like Brazilians, and Robert Whittaker denied rumors about a potential fight with Magomed Ankalaev. The post also noted that Khamzat Chimaev made someone tap in 40 seconds during what appears to be a training session.
Arman Tsarukyan has declared that a matchup with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is unlikely to materialize, predicting the champion will retire after just a couple more fights and opening the door for Tsarukyan himself to take over as the face of the UFC within the next year.
Makhachev, 34, carries a 28-1 record and currently holds the welterweight title while sitting at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings. The Russian southpaw out of Eagles MMA is one of the most complete fighters in the sport, averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and landing strikes at a 58 percent accuracy rate.
Tsarukyan's confidence in his own rise received a degree of institutional backing from UFC president Dana White, who noted he appreciates Tsarukyan's recent activity level and suggested that staying out of trouble off the canvas is essentially all that stands between Arman and a title shot.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's public comments effectively position him as the heir apparent at lightweight, regardless of whether Makhachev retires on his predicted timeline.
- A title shot appears within reach if Tsarukyan maintains his current momentum and avoids distractions, per White's comments.
- The lightweight division's near-term trajectory may hinge on how many more bouts Makhachev chooses to take.
Elsewhere in the news cycle, middleweight contender Paulo Costa, who carries a 16-4 record and leads the division in striking output at 6.26 significant strikes landed per minute, remarked that he relishes fighting Russian opponents because of their shared toughness with Brazilians. Robert Whittaker separately pushed back on reports linking him to a fight with Magomed Ankalaev, denying those rumors outright.
Finally, number-one ranked middleweight Khamzat Chimaev, who sports a 15-1 record and averages an imposing 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes, was seen submitting a training partner in 40 seconds during what appeared to be a gym session, a reminder that the fighter nicknamed Borz remains as dangerous in practice as he is on fight night.
