Arman Tsarukyan has dismissed any prospect of facing UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, calling such a matchup impossible. When asked whether he would be quickly finished by Aspinall, Tsarukyan agreed, stating the size difference makes the fight out of the question.
Arman Tsarukyan has firmly shut the door on any potential matchup with UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, making clear he has zero interest in crossing divisional lines to face the Englishman.
Tsarukyan, known as "Ahalkalakets," is the number one ranked lightweight contender with a record of 23-3-0. The 29-year-old Russian trains out of American Top Team and stands five-foot-seven with a 72-inch reach. He averages 3.85 significant strikes landed per minute and leads with his wrestling, posting 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes. He is firmly established as one of the premier fighters in the 155-pound division.
Aspinall, by contrast, occupies an entirely different physical universe. The 33-year-old from England holds the heavyweight title with a record of 15-3-0, stands six-foot-five at 196 cm, and carries a 78-inch reach. He is ranked sixth pound-for-pound and is one of the most dangerous finishers in the sport, landing 7.63 significant strikes per minute at a remarkable 67 percent accuracy.
When asked about a hypothetical fight with Aspinall, Tsarukyan did not entertain the idea. He acknowledged he would likely be finished quickly and said the size difference alone makes the matchup impossible.
Why it matters
- Tsarukyan is the top-ranked lightweight contender and focused on business at 155 pounds, making cross-divisional talk a non-starter.
- The size gap is stark: Aspinall holds a 26-centimeter height advantage and a 15-centimeter reach advantage over Tsarukyan.
- Aspinall's finishing rate and volume striking make him a legitimate threat to anyone in combat sports, regardless of weight class.
- The comments reinforce that both men remain locked into their own divisional paths for the foreseeable future.
