Arman Tsarukyan stated he believes he would have defeated Khabib Nurmagomedov by decision, citing his well-rounded skill set as a key advantage. UFC President Dana White expressed relief at stepping back from direct fighter negotiations, saying the company has outgrown that phase and he grew tired of dealing with often frivolous fighter problems. Daniel Cormier proposed an unusual next opponent for Islam Makhachev, suggesting he should fight Conor McGregor. The post also mentions Tsarukyan was prepared to wager one million dollars on a Khamzat Chimaev victory, but a streamer who proposed the bet quickly reduced the amount to fifty thousand dollars.
Arman Tsarukyan stirred conversation in the MMA world with a bold claim: he believes he would have defeated Khabib Nurmagomedov by decision if the two had ever met in competition. Tsarukyan pointed to his well-rounded skill set as the reason he would have had success against the retired Russian legend. Separately, UFC President Dana White acknowledged the organization has moved past the phase of direct fighter negotiations, saying he grew tired of handling what he described as often frivolous fighter problems. Analyst Daniel Cormier added to the week's talking points by suggesting that welterweight champion Islam Makhachev should face Conor McGregor as his next opponent.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, 37, retired with a perfect 29-0-0 record and remains one of the sport's most dominant figures. Fighting out of Russia, the orthodox grappler averaged 5.32 takedowns per 15 minutes and landed significant strikes at a 48 percent accuracy rate throughout his career.
Islam Makhachev, also 34 and from Russia, currently holds the welterweight title and sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings at 28-1-0. The southpaw operates out of Eagles MMA and is a precision striker, posting a remarkable 58 percent striking accuracy alongside 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Adding a side story to the week's noise, Tsarukyan revealed he was prepared to wager one million dollars on a Khamzat Chimaev victory, only for the streamer who proposed the bet to quickly retreat to a fifty-thousand-dollar figure. Chimaev, 32, fights out of Allstars Training Center representing the United Arab Emirates. Ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth pound-for-pound at 15-1-0, "Borz" is a physically imposing fighter standing six-foot-two with a 75-inch reach, and leads the UFC with 60 percent striking accuracy while averaging 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's Khabib claim keeps his name in the lightweight title conversation ahead of any future booking
- Cormier's McGregor suggestion for Makhachev would represent one of the UFC's biggest potential commercial events
- White's comments on negotiations signal a shift in how the UFC's front office manages fighter relations going forward
