Arman Tsarukyan has declined to weigh in as a backup for the Justin Gaethje vs Ilia Topuria fight. Tsarukyan stated he will focus on his upcoming appearance at RAF instead.
Arman Tsarukyan has turned down a backup role for the upcoming lightweight title fight between champion Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria, instead directing his focus toward a scheduled appearance at RAF.
Tsarukyan sits at the top of the lightweight rankings at 23-3-0, making him the division's most logical standby option. The 29-year-old Russian, who trains out of American Top Team, carries a 72-inch reach — notable for a fighter standing five-foot-seven — and averages 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes, one of the more dominant grappling rates in the division. His striking accuracy sits at 50 percent, with 3.85 significant strikes landed per minute.
The fight Tsarukyan declined to back up is a meeting between two of the sport's most dangerous lightweights. Gaethje, 37, holds the lightweight title with a record of 28-5-0 and is arguably the most accurate striker in the division, landing 6.48 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy. The American, who stands five-foot-eleven with a 70-inch reach, trains out of Genesis Training Center. His opponent, Ilia Topuria, enters ranked second in the division and first in the pound-for-pound standings. The 29-year-old Spaniard carries a 17-1-0 record and lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute, while also threatening takedowns at a rate of 1.96 per 15 minutes. Topuria stands five-foot-seven with a 69-inch reach and fights out of Climent Club.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan is the top-ranked lightweight, so his absence from backup duties leaves a prominent gap if either Gaethje or Topuria withdraws.
- His decision to prioritize RAF signals he has competitive commitments of his own rather than remaining on standby.
- With Tsarukyan, Gaethje, and Topuria all active, the lightweight division's title picture remains tightly contested at the top.
