Arman Tsarukyan stated he wants Gaehtje to lose so he can fight Ilia Topuria and remove him from the UFC, adding he won't stop until he has at least five title defenses. Merab Dvalishvili clarified he has no issues with Dagestani fighters except Umar Nurmagomedov, emphasizing healthy competition among Armenians, Georgians, Chechens, and Dagestanis. Topuria responded harshly to Tsarukyan, calling him unintelligent and promising to break his jaw in the first round. Benoit Saint-Denis hinted at a fight with Paddy Pimblett by posting a roast beef image. Demetrious Johnson predicted Chimaev would defeat Sean O'Malley, and Bogdan Guskov declined a bout with Baraniewski.
Several storylines are converging in the lightweight and bantamweight divisions this week, as Arman Tsarukyan made his title ambitions clear, Ilia Topuria fired back with a sharp warning, Merab Dvalishvili addressed regional tensions, and a potential matchup between Benoit Saint-Denis and Paddy Pimblett began circulating.
Tsarukyan went on record saying he wants Justin Gaethje to lose his upcoming bout so that he can next challenge Topuria and, in his words, remove him from the UFC. The Armenian-Russian contender added he will not stop competing until he has secured at least five title defenses, framing his goals in sweeping, long-term terms.
Topuria, ranked second at lightweight and first in the pound-for-pound standings at 17-1-0, was not interested in measured diplomacy. The 29-year-old Spaniard called Tsarukyan unintelligent and promised to break his jaw inside the first round if the two ever meet. Topuria averages 4.81 significant strikes per minute and lands them at a 48 percent clip, and he has also shown consistent grappling output with 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Merab Dvalishvili used the moment to clarify the boundaries of his rivalries, stating he holds no animosity toward Dagestani fighters as a whole and sees his competitive relationship with Armenians, Georgians, Chechens, and Dagestanis as healthy. The one exception he named explicitly was Umar Nurmagomedov. The 30-year-old Russian sits ranked second at bantamweight with a 20-1-0 record, averaging 4.03 takedowns per 15 minutes and landing strikes at a 56 percent accuracy rate.
Elsewhere, Benoit Saint-Denis hinted at a future clash with Paddy Pimblett by posting a roast beef image on social media, a coded callout that drew attention without any official confirmation from either fighter or the promotion.
Demetrious Johnson offered his view that Khamzat Chimaev, the number-one ranked middleweight at 15-1-0, would defeat Sean O'Malley. Chimaev, who averages 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands strikes at 60 percent accuracy, has long been considered a stylistic nightmare for opponents from any background. Separately, Bogdan Guskov turned down a proposed bout with Baraniewski.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's public campaign to fight Topuria adds pressure to the lightweight title picture ahead of the Gaethje result
- Dvalishvili's comments draw a clear line between broader regional camaraderie and his singular rivalry with Umar Nurmagomedov
- A Saint-Denis versus Pimblett matchup, if formalized, would carry significant fan interest in the lightweight division
