Lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan stated he wants Justin Gaethje to withdraw so he can fight Ilia Topuria and "kick him out of the UFC," calling it his goal. The Armenian fighter also 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, saying he simply doesn't like that particular fighter, and that Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya and Dagestan all have hardworking people who are friends with healthy competition. Topuria responded by calling Tsarukyan "incredibly stupid" and claiming he would break his jaw in the first round if they fought, adding that Tsarukyan spends his father's money rather than his own. Additional news includes Tsarukyan discussing a potential Volkanovski fight, Demetrious Johnson predicting Khamzat Chimaev over Sean O'Malley, and Bogdan Guskov declining a fight with Michal Baranyevski.
Arman Tsarukyan has set his sights firmly on Ilia Topuria, declaring he wants Justin Gaethje to step aside so he can face the Georgian-Spanish star and, in his words, "kick him out of the UFC." The Armenian lightweight contender added that he has no intention of walking away from the sport until he has defended a UFC title at least five times.
Topuria, 29, now competes at lightweight after making a high-profile division jump, carrying a 17-1-0 record and the number-two lightweight ranking into any future matchup. Ranked first pound-for-pound in the UFC's official standings, he is one of the most active strikers in the sport, landing 4.81 significant strikes per minute at a 48 percent accuracy clip. He did not take Tsarukyan's callout lightly, firing back that his rival is "incredibly stupid" and claiming he would break Tsarukyan's jaw inside the opening round, while also alleging that the Armenian fighter relies on his father's money.
Elsewhere in the story, bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili addressed regional tensions, clarifying that his only issue is with Umar Nurmagomedov specifically and not fighters from Dagestan as a whole. Dvalishvili argued that Armenians, Georgians, Chechens and Dagestanis share a tradition of hard work and healthy competition. Nurmagomedov, 30, sits at number two in the bantamweight division with a 20-1-0 record, averaging over four takedowns per 15 minutes and landing strikes at a 56 percent accuracy rate.
The roundup also touches on Tsarukyan floating a potential fight with Alexander Volkanovski, Demetrious Johnson picking Khamzat Chimaev over Sean O'Malley, and Bogdan Guskov declining a proposed bout with Michal Baranyevski.
Why it matters
- A Tsarukyan-Topuria fight would instantly define the lightweight title picture given both men sit inside the division's top tier.
- Dvalishvili's comments draw a careful line between personal rivalry and broader regional politics ahead of his anticipated clash with Nurmagomedov.
- Chimaev, the top-ranked middleweight at 15-1-0, remains a subject of cross-divisional conversation as he continues to generate matchup speculation beyond his own weight class.
