Arman Tsarukyan stated he wants Justin Gaethje to pull out so he can fight Ilia Topuria and "kick him out of the UFC," calling this his goal. Tsarukyan also declared he will only stop when he has at least five title defenses. Merab Dvalishvili commented that he has no problems with Dagestani fighters except Umar Nurmagomedov, whom he simply doesn't like, noting that fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan are hardworking and friendly with healthy competition. Topuria responded by calling Tsarukyan stupid and saying he would break his jaw in the first round if they met. The post also mentioned Benoit Saint-Denis announced a fight with Paddy Pimblett by posting roast beef on social media, and that Bogdan Guskov declined a fight with Baranyevski.
Arman Tsarukyan has made his ambitions clear, publicly stating he wants Justin Gaethje to withdraw from their scheduled bout so he can instead face Ilia Topuria and, in his words, "kick him out of the UFC." The Armenian lightweight contender also declared he will not stop competing until he has defended a world title at least five times.
Topuria, currently ranked second in the lightweight division and first in the pound-for-pound rankings, wasted no time responding. The 29-year-old Spaniard dismissed Tsarukyan's comments, calling him stupid and claiming he would break his jaw in the first round. Topuria carries a 17-1-0 record and ranks among the most active strikers in the division, averaging 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy.
Bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili also weighed in, drawing a distinction among fighters from the broader region. He stated he has no issues with Dagestani fighters as a whole, citing hardworking attitudes and healthy competition among athletes from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan — but singled out Umar Nurmagomedov as someone he simply does not like. Nurmagomedov, ranked second at bantamweight at 30 years old, holds a 20-1-0 record and is one of the more complete fighters in his division, averaging over four takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 3.86 significant strikes per minute.
Elsewhere in lightweight, Benoit Saint-Denis appears set to meet Paddy Pimblett, with Saint-Denis announcing the matchup through a social media post. Pimblett, ranked sixth at lightweight, carries a 23-4-0 record and is one of the division's more active offensive fighters, averaging 5.49 significant strikes per minute and 1.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes for the 31-year-old Liverpudlian.
Why it matters
- A Tsarukyan-Topuria matchup would be a lightweight title eliminator or championship fight, given both men sit near the top of the division
- Dvalishvili's comments about Nurmagomedov add tension to a potential bantamweight title picture that already features both fighters
- Pimblett versus Saint-Denis would pit two ranked lightweights against each other with contrasting styles, submission threat versus aggressive striking
