Arman Tsarukyan stated he wants Justin Gaethje to drop out so he can fight Ilia Topuria and kick him out of the UFC, describing this as his goal. Tsarukyan also declared he will only stop when he has at least five title defenses in the UFC. Meanwhile, Merab Dvalishvili said he has no problems with Dagestani fighters except Umar Nurmagomedov, whom he simply doesn't like, while emphasizing healthy competition among fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan. Topuria fired back at Tsarukyan with harsh criticism, calling him stupid and saying he would break his jaw in the first round if they fought. Additional news includes Tsarukyan discussing a potential fight with Alexander Volkanovski, Demetrious Johnson predicting Khamzat Chimaev would beat Sean O'Malley, Benoit Saint-Denis teasing a fight with Paddy Pimblett, and Bogdan Guskov declining a fight with an unnamed opponent.
Arman Tsarukyan has laid out an ambitious vision for his UFC career, declaring he wants to accumulate at least five lightweight title defenses and expressing a desire to face Ilia Topuria — going as far as saying he wants to kick the Georgian-born Spaniard out of the promotion entirely.
Tsarukyan stated he hopes Justin Gaethje removes himself from contention so a fight with Topuria can be made, framing that matchup as a primary goal. He also discussed a potential future bout with Alexander Volkanovski as part of his long-term plans at lightweight.
Topuria, currently ranked second in the lightweight division and first in the pound-for-pound rankings, wasted no time firing back. The 29-year-old Spaniard called Tsarukyan stupid and claimed he would break his jaw inside the first round. Topuria carries a 17-1-0 record and lands an impressive 4.81 significant strikes per minute, making him one of the most active offensive fighters in the division.
Merab Dvalishvili also weighed in on regional rivalries, saying he has no issues with fighters from Dagestan as a whole but singled out Umar Nurmagomedov as someone he simply does not like. Nurmagomedov, 30, holds a 20-1-0 record and is ranked second at bantamweight, landing 3.86 significant strikes per minute while averaging over four takedowns per 15 minutes. Dvalishvili was careful to frame broader competition among fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan as healthy rather than hostile.
Elsewhere in the news cycle, Demetrious Johnson predicted that Khamzat Chimaev would defeat Sean O'Malley. Chimaev, ranked first at middleweight and tenth pound-for-pound, holds a 15-1-0 record and averages a remarkable 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes with 60 percent striking accuracy. Benoit Saint-Denis teased a potential fight with Paddy Pimblett, while Bogdan Guskov declined a bout with an unnamed opponent.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan's call-out puts the Topuria rivalry at the center of the lightweight division's near-term narrative
- Topuria's sharp public response signals neither fighter is backing down from the confrontation
- Dvalishvili's comments on Nurmagomedov add another charged rivalry to an already competitive bantamweight landscape
