Arman Tsarukyan stated he wants Justin Gaethje to miss weight so he can fight Ilia Topuria and "throw him out of the UFC," adding that his goal is a minimum of five title defenses. Merab Dvalishvili clarified he has no issues with Dagestani fighters except Umar Nurmagomedov, whom he dislikes, and emphasized healthy competition among fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan. Topuria responded harshly to Tsarukyan's comments, calling him "stupid" and "a child spending his father's money," and vowed to break his jaw in the first round if they meet in the octagon. Tsarukyan also discussed a potential bout with Volkanovski and outlined near-term prospects for Khamzat Chimaev. Additionally, Benoit Saint-Denis announced a fight with Paddy Pimblett via social media, and Bogdan Guskov declined a fight with Baranievski.
Arman Tsarukyan made headlines this week with a bold declaration aimed at lightweight champion Ilia Topuria, stating he hopes Justin Gaethje misses weight so he can step in, fight Topuria, and — in his words — throw him out of the UFC. The Armenian contender also set an ambitious benchmark for his own future reign, stating a minimum of five title defenses as his goal.
Topuria, the 29-year-old Spanish-Georgian who holds the number-two pound-for-pound ranking and carries a 17-1-0 record in the lightweight division, wasted no time firing back. He dismissed Tsarukyan with pointed language, calling him "stupid" and "a child spending his father's money," and vowed to break his jaw inside the first round if the two ever share the octagon. Topuria lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute and attempts over one submission per 15 minutes, making him a threat in multiple phases.
Merab Dvalishvili also entered the conversation, clarifying that he holds no grudge against fighters from Dagestan broadly but singles out Umar Nurmagomedov as the one fighter he genuinely dislikes. Nurmagomedov, ranked second in the bantamweight division at 30 years old, carries a 20-1-0 record and lands takedowns at a rate of 4.03 per 15 minutes while striking with 56 percent accuracy. Dvalishvili framed the rest of the regional dynamic — fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan — as healthy competition rather than animosity.
Tsarukyan also touched on a potential matchup with Alexander Volkanovski and offered thoughts on near-term prospects for Khamzat Chimaev. Chimaev, the number-one ranked middleweight and number-ten pound-for-pound fighter, holds a 15-1-0 record and leads the division in takedown volume at 5.29 per 15 minutes with a 60 percent striking accuracy.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's callout directly pressures the lightweight title picture if Gaethje's bout with Topuria faces any complication
- Topuria's sharp public response signals the rivalry carries genuine personal edge, not just promotional noise
- Dvalishvili's comments clarify the fault lines within a loaded bantamweight division where Nurmagomedov is a top-two fixture
- Chimaev's next move at middleweight remains one of the most watched storylines across the top ten
