Arman Tsarukyan made a controversial statement calling Ilia Topuria "not a man." The Armenian fighter's reasoning was highly unusual - he claimed it was because Topuria shaves his backside while Tsarukyan does not. The post appears to be highlighting an oddly personal jab between the two fighters. Details about the context of this exchange are limited in the original post.
Arman Tsarukyan has taken his rivalry with Ilia Topuria in an unexpected direction, publicly questioning Topuria's manhood in a statement that has drawn attention for its unusual reasoning. The Armenian fighter's claim, made on social media, centered on the assertion that Topuria shaves his backside — something Tsarukyan said he himself does not do.
Tsarukyan, nicknamed "Ahalkalakets," enters this exchange as the number-one ranked lightweight contender at 29 years old, representing Russia out of American Top Team. He carries a record of 23-3 and brings serious grappling credentials to the division, averaging 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes with a striking accuracy of 50 percent.
Topuria, known as "El Matador," sits at number two in the lightweight division but holds the number-one pound-for-pound ranking in the sport. The 29-year-old fighting out of Spain's Climent Club holds a 17-1 record and is a finishing machine, averaging 4.81 significant strikes per minute with a 48 percent accuracy rate and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan and Topuria are the two highest-ranked fighters in a stacked lightweight division, making any exchange between them significant
- The personal nature of this jab suggests tensions between the two camps are running high
- Both fighters are the same age, height, and stance, setting up a closely matched potential clash on paper
The context surrounding the original statement is limited, and it is unclear what prompted Tsarukyan to go public with the remark. Still, with both men sitting at the very top of the 155-pound rankings, even an odd personal provocation keeps the spotlight on a potential matchup that the division is watching closely.
