Arman Tsarukyan stated he wants Gaethje to drop out so he can fight Ilia Topuria and "kick him out of the UFC," which he claims is his goal. He also said he won't stop until he has at least five UFC title defenses. Meanwhile, Topuria responded with harsh words, calling Tsarukyan "stupid" and "a kid" who spends his father's money, and threatened to break his jaw in the first round if they meet. Merab Dvalishvili commented on the Caucasus region rivalries, saying he has no issues with Dagestani fighters except Umar Nurmagomedov, emphasizing that fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan are hardworking and friendly competitors. The post also mentioned other news snippets: Tsarukyan discussed a potential Volkanovski bout, Demetrious Johnson predicted Chimaev would beat O'Malley, Benoit Saint-Denis teased a fight with Paddy Pimblett, and Bogdan Guskov declined a bout with Baraniewski.
Arman Tsarukyan has made his ambitions clear, calling out Ilia Topuria and declaring he will not rest until he has defended a UFC title at least five times — bold claims that have already drawn a sharp response from "El Matador" himself.
Tsarukyan stated publicly that he hopes Justin Gaethje steps aside so he can face Topuria, going as far as saying his goal is to "kick him out of the UFC." Topuria, currently ranked second in the lightweight division with a 17-1-0 record, fired back with personal barbs, calling Tsarukyan "stupid" and "a kid" who spends his father's money, and threatening to break his jaw inside the first round if the two ever meet. The 29-year-old Spaniard is also the current number-one pound-for-pound fighter in the world according to the AgentMMA rankings, averaging 4.81 significant strikes per minute with a 48 percent striking accuracy.
Adding another layer to the regional storylines, Merab Dvalishvili weighed in on rivalries across the Caucasus. He noted that fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan are generally hardworking and friendly competitors, but singled out Umar Nurmagomedov as the one exception among Dagestani fighters. Nurmagomedov, ranked second in the bantamweight division, holds a 20-1-0 record at age 30 and lands takedowns at a rate of 4.03 per 15 minutes while connecting on 56 percent of his significant strikes.
Why it matters
- A Tsarukyan vs. Topuria fight at lightweight would be a title unification or contendership clash with the division's top pound-for-pound asset involved
- Topuria's aggressive counter-callout raises the stakes and the profile of any future negotiation
- Dvalishvili's comments on regional rivalries add tension to the Caucasus-heavy lightweight and bantamweight landscapes
- Tsarukyan's stated goal of five title defenses sets a high benchmark that will define how his reign, if achieved, is ultimately judged
