Arman Tsarukyan stated he wants Justin Gaethje to pull out so he can fight Ilia Topuria and "kick him out of the UFC," calling it his main goal. Tsarukyan declared he will only stop when he has a minimum of five UFC title defenses. Meanwhile, Merab Dvalishvili clarified he has no problems with Dagestani fighters except Umar Nurmagomedov, whom he dislikes, but emphasized healthy competition among fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan. Topuria, who recently updated his chest tattoo, fired back at Tsarukyan with harsh words, calling him "incredibly stupid" and claiming he would break his jaw in the first round. The post also mentions Demetrious Johnson predicting a confident victory for Khamzat Chimaev over Sean O'Malley, Benoit Saint-Denis announcing a fight with Paddy Pimblett through a social media post featuring roast beef, and Bogdan Guskov declining a fight with Ivo Baraniewski.
Arman Tsarukyan has made his ambitions clear, publicly calling out Ilia Topuria and declaring he will not stop competing until he has defended a UFC title at least five times.
Tsarukyan stated he wants Justin Gaethje to withdraw from any scheduling considerations so he can get a shot at Topuria, whom he said he intends to "kick out of the UFC." The Armenian contender framed the matchup as his primary goal in the sport.
Topuria, currently ranked second in the lightweight division with a 17-1-0 record and sitting atop the pound-for-pound rankings at just 29 years old, did not hold back in response. The Spain-based fighter, known as "El Matador," fired back by calling Tsarukyan "incredibly stupid" and claiming he would break his jaw in the first round. Topuria averages 4.81 significant strikes per minute and has shown consistent finishing ability throughout his career.
Also in the mix of Caucasus regional rivalry commentary, bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili clarified his relationships with fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan, saying he has no issues with Dagestani fighters broadly but specifically dislikes Umar Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov, ranked second at bantamweight at age 30, carries a 20-1-0 record and lands takedowns at a rate of 4.03 per 15 minutes with a striking accuracy of 56 percent.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan calling for Topuria sets up a potential high-stakes lightweight title fight between two of the division's most prominent names
- Topuria's pound-for-pound status and Tsarukyan's ambitions make this one of the most compelling potential matchups in the 155-pound division
- The broader Dvalishvili-Nurmagomedov tension adds another layer of intrigue to the bantamweight picture, where Nurmagomedov is already a top-two contender
- Five mandatory defenses as a stated goal signals Tsarukyan is positioning himself for a long championship run, not just a single title shot
