Lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan stated he would like Diego Lopes to miss weight so he could fight Ilia Topuria instead, adding that he would knock Topuria out of the UFC. Tsarukyan declared he will only stop when he has at least five title defenses. Meanwhile, bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili clarified he has no problems with Dagestani fighters except Umar Nurmagomedov, whom he dislikes personally, emphasizing healthy competition among fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan. Topuria responded to Tsarukyan, calling him stupid and saying he would break his jaw in the first round if they fought. Tsarukyan also discussed a potential bout with Alexander Volkanovski and outlined prospects for Khamzat Chimaev. Demetrious Johnson predicted a confident victory for Chimaev over Sean Strickland. Benoit Saint-Denis announced a fight with Paddy Pimblett by posting a roast beef image on social media, and Bogdan Guskov declined a bout with Baranyevsky.
Arman Tsarukyan made clear this week that his primary target in the lightweight division is Ilia Topuria, going so far as to say he hopes Diego Lopes misses weight for their upcoming bout so he can step in and face the former featherweight champion instead. Tsarukyan added that he would knock Topuria out of the UFC entirely, and set a personal benchmark of at least five title defenses once he gets his hands on the belt.
Topuria, ranked second at lightweight and first in the pound-for-pound rankings with a 17-1-0 record, was quick to fire back. The 29-year-old Spanish fighter, who lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy, dismissed Tsarukyan's comments and warned he would break his jaw inside the first round if the two ever met.
Bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili also weighed in on regional rivalries during the same news cycle, clarifying that he holds no grudge against fighters from Dagestan as a whole but singled out second-ranked contender Umar Nurmagomedov as someone he dislikes on a personal level. Dvalishvili emphasized that competition between fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan is healthy rather than hostile. Nurmagomedov, 30, carries a 20-1-0 record and is one of the division's more dangerous grapplers, averaging 4.03 takedowns per 15 minutes with 56 percent striking accuracy.
Elsewhere, Demetrious Johnson predicted a confident win for Khamzat Chimaev over Sean Strickland. Strickland, 35, holds a 31-7-0 record and leads the middleweight division, consistently pressing the pace with 6.04 significant strikes per minute across his UFC appearances.
Why it matters
- A Tsarukyan-Topuria matchup would pit two of the division's most dangerous finishers against each other with title implications on both sides
- Dvalishvili's comments about Nurmagomedov add a personal edge to what is already a top-two bantamweight rivalry
- Benoit Saint-Denis and Paddy Pimblett appear headed toward a booking after Saint-Denis's social media post, adding another high-profile lightweight contest to the pipeline
