Arman Tsarukyan has ridiculed Ilia Topuria's stated intention to submit Islam Makhachev, arguing that even Khabib Nurmagomedov would not have been able to accomplish such a feat. Tsarukyan's comments suggest he views Topuria's confidence as unrealistic given Makhachev's elite grappling credentials. The statement appears to be part of ongoing verbal exchanges in the lightweight and featherweight divisions. No details about potential matchups or timelines were mentioned in the post.
Arman Tsarukyan has publicly mocked Ilia Topuria's claim that he could submit Islam Makhachev, going as far as to say that even Khabib Nurmagomedov could not have pulled off such a feat against the reigning champion.
Topuria, ranked first in the pound-for-pound rankings at just 29 years old, carries a 17-1 record and competes at lightweight after previously holding featherweight gold. The Spanish fighter trains out of Climent Club and has built a reputation as a well-rounded threat, averaging 4.81 significant strikes per minute with a striking accuracy of 48 percent. He also attempts 1.1 submissions per 15 minutes, showing genuine grappling ambition. Still, his path to submitting Makhachev would be a steep one by any measure.
Makhachev, 34, is the reigning welterweight champion and the top pound-for-pound fighter on the planet according to current rankings, holding a record of 28-1. The Russian, who trains with Eagles MMA, lands strikes at a 58 percent accuracy rate — the highest among the fighters named in this exchange — and attempts 1.1 submissions per 15 minutes himself, underlining his two-way grappling threat. His connection to Nurmagomedov, the undefeated 29-0 legend whose 5.32 takedowns per 15 minutes set a standard few have approached, gives Tsarukyan's reference added weight.
Why it matters
- Topuria's submission claim puts pressure on his own grappling credentials ahead of any potential lightweight title challenge
- Tsarukyan invoking Nurmagomedov frames Makhachev's grappling as essentially uncrackable, raising the stakes of the public exchange
- The back-and-forth keeps the lightweight division's title picture in sharp focus, with Topuria currently ranked second in the division
