Arman Tsarukyan expressed his desire for Diego Lopes to miss weight so he could fight Ilia Topuria and "kick him out of the UFC," calling it his goal. He also stated he won't stop until he has at least five UFC title defenses. Merab Dvalishvili clarified he has no problems with Dagestani fighters except Umar Nurmagomedov, whom he specifically dislikes, emphasizing that fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan are hardworking and maintain healthy competition. Topuria, who recently updated his chest tattoo, called Tsarukyan "incredibly stupid" and "a f***ing child," saying Tsarukyan isn't on his level and threatening to break his jaw in the first round if they meet. Additional notes mentioned Benoit Saint-Denis hinting at a Pimblett fight and Bogdan Guskov declining a bout with Baranyevsky.
Arman Tsarukyan made his ambitions clear in recent remarks, expressing a desire for Diego Lopes to miss weight at their upcoming bout so he could instead face Ilia Topuria and, in his words, "kick him out of the UFC." Tsarukyan also declared he won't stop competing until he has secured at least five UFC title defenses, underlining the scale of his long-term goals.
Topuria, the number-two ranked lightweight and current pound-for-pound top fighter in the world, was quick to respond. The 29-year-old Spaniard dismissed Tsarukyan as "incredibly stupid" and "a f***ing child," stating flatly that the Armenian is not on his level and threatening to break his jaw in the first round if they ever share the octagon. Topuria carries a 17-1 record and lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute with a 48 percent accuracy rate, making him one of the division's most active offensive threats.
Separately, bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili addressed his relationship with Dagestani fighters, clarifying that he holds no ill will toward fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, or Dagestan as a whole, describing them as hardworking athletes engaged in healthy competition. The one exception, he emphasized, is Umar Nurmagomedov. The number-two ranked bantamweight holds a 20-1 record and lands takedowns at a rate of 4.03 per 15 minutes, making the potential rivalry between the two grapplers a fascinating stylistic question for the 135-pound division.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's call-out of Topuria sets up a potential all-orthodox lightweight collision between two of the division's most aggressive strikers
- Topuria's pound-for-pound ranking and Tsarukyan's title ambitions give any matchup between them significant divisional weight
- Dvalishvili's specific targeting of Umar Nurmagomedov adds a personal dimension to an already competitive bantamweight landscape, where Nurmagomedov averages nearly four takedowns per 15 minutes
