Arman Tsarukyan has made controversial comments about Ilia Topuria, calling the UFC featherweight champion "not a man" based on personal grooming habits. Specifically, Tsarukyan stated that Topuria "shaves his backside" while Tsarukyan himself does not, using this as the basis for his criticism. The comment appears to be part of ongoing verbal exchanges between the two fighters and adds to tensions that have been building on social media. The nature of the comment suggests psychological warfare or an attempt to provoke Topuria ahead of potential future matchups. The statement has generated attention and discussion within the MMA community for its unusual and personal nature.
Arman Tsarukyan has drawn widespread attention in the MMA community after making a pointed and unusually personal remark about UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, publicly stating that Topuria "shaves his backside" and declaring him "not a man" on that basis.
The comment is the latest salvo in what has become an increasingly heated rivalry between two of the sport's top-ranked fighters. Tsarukyan, 29, carries a record of 23-3-0 and currently sits as the number-one ranked lightweight contender. The Russia-born American Top Team product stands five-foot-seven with a 72-inch reach and has built his reputation on relentless pressure, averaging 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes with striking accuracy of 50 percent.
Topuria, also 29, holds a 17-1-0 record and is currently ranked second at lightweight and first in the pound-for-pound rankings. The Spain-based Georgian fighter, trained out of Climent Club, shares the same five-foot-seven height as Tsarukyan but works with a slightly shorter 69-inch reach. He lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute and supplements his output with 1.96 takedowns per 15 minutes along with a notably active submission game.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan is the top-ranked lightweight contender, and Topuria recently moved up to that division, making a collision between the two increasingly plausible.
- The psychological warfare adds an intensely personal dimension to what was already a high-stakes rivalry.
- Both fighters share identical height and stances, meaning style nuances and mental edges could carry extra weight in any eventual meeting.
The remark appears calculated to provoke a response from Topuria and fits a pattern of escalating social media exchanges between the two. Whether the verbal back-and-forth accelerates negotiations for an official matchup remains to be seen.
