Arman Tsarukyan has stated he wants Diego Lopes to miss weight so he can fight Ilia Topuria and "throw him out of the UFC," calling it his goal. The lightweight contender declared he will only stop when he has achieved at least five UFC title defenses. Meanwhile, Merab Dvalishvili clarified he has no issues with Dagestani fighters except Umar Nurmagomedov, stating he simply dislikes that particular fighter while emphasizing healthy competition among fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan. Topuria responded harshly to Tsarukyan's comments, calling him "incredibly stupid" and predicting he would break Tsarukyan's jaw in the first round if they fought. Additional brief updates mentioned Tsarukyan discussing a potential Volkanovski fight, Demetrious Johnson predicting Chimaev over O'Malley, Benoit Saint-Denis announcing a fight with Paddy Pimblett, and Bogdan Guskov declining a fight with an unnamed opponent.
Arman Tsarukyan has made his ambitions clear, stating publicly that he wants Ilia Topuria and intends to "throw him out of the UFC" — going so far as to say he hopes Diego Lopes misses weight on the scale so the path to that fight opens sooner. The Armenian lightweight contender also declared he will not stop competing until he has defended a UFC title at least five times.
Topuria, currently ranked second in the lightweight division and sitting atop the pound-for-pound rankings at 29 years old, did not hold back in his response. The Spain-based fighter, who carries a 17-1-0 record, called Tsarukyan "incredibly stupid" and predicted he would break his jaw inside the first round. Topuria lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute and averages more than one submission attempt per 15 minutes, making him a threat in multiple areas. He also mixes in a takedown game, averaging nearly two takedowns per 15 minutes.
In a separate development, bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili moved to clarify remarks about regional rivalries, stating he has no broad issues with Dagestani fighters — his dislike is directed specifically at Umar Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov, ranked second at bantamweight and 30 years old, holds a 20-1-0 record and is one of the division's most efficient fighters, landing 56 percent of his significant strikes and averaging over four takedowns per 15 minutes. Dvalishvili stressed that competition among fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan is healthy overall.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's comments intensify a potential lightweight clash with the top-ranked Topuria, who is fresh off moving to 155 pounds
- A Topuria vs. Tsarukyan matchup would have immediate title implications at lightweight
- The Dvalishvili-Nurmagomedov dynamic adds another charged regional rivalry to watch at bantamweight
