Arman Tsarukyan stated he believes he would have defeated Khabib Nurmagomedov by decision, citing his versatile skill set as the main advantage. Meanwhile, Daniel Cormier proposed an unusual career move for Islam Makhachev, suggesting a fight with Conor McGregor. Tsarukyan was reportedly ready to bet one million dollars on Khamzat Chimaev's victory, but the streamer who proposed the bet quickly reduced the wager to fifty thousand. Jiri Prochazka expressed confidence that Alex Pereira could defeat Ciryl Gane. Dana White also commented that he is glad to have stepped back from fighter negotiations, saying the company has outgrown that stage and he grew tired of dealing with what he called often frivolous fighter issues.
Arman Tsarukyan made a bold claim in recent media coverage, stating he believes he would have beaten retired legend Khabib Nurmagomedov by decision, pointing to his well-rounded skill set as the decisive edge. The comments came alongside a wave of chatter involving several prominent figures from the sport.
Tsarukyan also made headlines for reportedly being willing to stake one million dollars on Khamzat Chimaev in a streamer bet, though the opposing party quickly scaled the proposed wager back to fifty thousand dollars. Khabib, who retired with a perfect 29-0-0 record, was one of the most dominant grapplers in UFC history, averaging an extraordinary 5.32 takedowns per fifteen minutes across his career, with 0.8 submission attempts in the same window.
Islam Makhachev, the current welterweight champion and the top pound-for-pound fighter in the AgentMMA database, found himself at the center of a separate conversation after Daniel Cormier floated the idea of a fight between Makhachev and Conor McGregor. The 34-year-old Russian carries a 28-1-0 record and posts a striking accuracy of 58 percent alongside 3.2 takedowns per fifteen minutes, making him one of the most complete fighters in the game.
Jiri Prochazka added his voice to the media cycle as well, expressing confidence that Alex Pereira has what it takes to defeat Ciryl Gane. Prochazka, ranked second in the light heavyweight division at 33 years old, brings his own credentials to any opinion on elite striking, landing 5.69 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy across his 32-6-1 career.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's Khabib claim fuels ongoing debate about how modern lightweights would match up with the retired legend
- Cormier's McGregor suggestion adds noise around Makhachev's next move as pound-for-pound champion
- Dana White's comments about stepping back from fighter negotiations signal a structural shift in how the UFC handles contract talks
