Lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan stated he wants Justin Gaethje to pull out of his upcoming bout so he can fight and defeat featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, claiming he would knock him out of the UFC. Tsarukyan also declared he won't stop until he has at least five UFC title defenses. Separately, bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili clarified he has no issues with Dagestani fighters except for Umar Nurmagomedov, stating he simply doesn't like that particular fighter. Merab emphasized that fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan are all hardworking and generally friendly, with only healthy competition between them. The comments highlight ongoing rivalries and ambitions among top contenders.
Lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan has publicly called out featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, going as far as to say he hopes Justin Gaethje withdraws from their scheduled bout so he can face and finish Topuria instead. Tsarukyan added that he intends to hold a UFC title for at least five successful defenses once he gets his hands on a belt. In separate remarks, bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili addressed his relationship with Dagestani fighters, singling out Umar Nurmagomedov as the one individual he simply does not like, while making clear he holds no broader grudge against fighters from the region.
Tsarukyan's target, Topuria, holds a 17-1-0 record and currently sits at number two in the lightweight division after recently moving up from featherweight. The 29-year-old Spaniard is also ranked first pound-for-pound in the UFC and lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute with a striking accuracy of 48 percent, supplementing his standup with 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes. Gaethje, the reigning lightweight champion at 37 years old, carries a 28-5-0 record and is one of the most prolific strikers in the division, averaging an eye-catching 6.48 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy.
Dvalishvili's comments touched on Nurmagomedov, the 30-year-old Russian ranked second at bantamweight. Nurmagomedov holds a 20-1-0 record and is a well-rounded threat, averaging 4.03 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 3.86 significant strikes landed per minute at 56 percent accuracy. Dvalishvili was careful to frame the tension as personal rather than regional, describing fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan as hardworking and generally friendly, with only healthy competitive rivalry between them.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's callout of Topuria, a pound-for-pound number one, raises the stakes in an already crowded lightweight title picture
- Gaethje's status as lightweight champion means any reshuffling of that bout would have major divisional consequences
- Dvalishvili's comments draw a sharper line between himself and Nurmagomedov, the second-ranked bantamweight contender and a likely future title challenger
