Ilia Topuria Rips Into Arman Tsarukyan For Sudden Backup Role at UFC 317, Gets a Response

Ilia Topuria suggests it's a mistake for caliber like Arman Tsarukyan to take up backup fighter role for this weekend's UFC 317 PPV headliner.

Ilia Topuria Rips Into Arman Tsarukyan For Sudden Backup Role at UFC 317, Gets a Response

Ilia Topuria rips Arman Tsarukyan for UFC 317 backup role (Source: X)

Fighters can go along with niceties for only so long when there’s a gold rush. With Islam Makhachev vacating for a move up, Ilia Topuria now challenges for the vacant 155-pound crown at UFC 317, this Saturday. Tensions are piling up between Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan, who he now finds in a backup role for the weekend.

Arman Tsarukyan is still the #1 lightweight per the UFC Athletes’ Listings. After his last-minute, weigh-in day pullout at UFC 311, “Ahalkalakets” was sent packing to work his way up the contention ladder. He has accepted a relatively short-order UFC 317 PPV backup role for the lightweight main event, live from T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV.

He and “El Matador” have always been respectful towards each other. However, during a conversation with New York Post Sports on Tuesday, Topuria indicated that this was an error on Tsarukyan’s part.

That’s a bad decision for him, …I don’t know why he accepted, because you can’t come here as a backup fighter. I don’t know how did he train for this fight? If something happens to anyone, even to me, — think that there’s no possibility that something could happen with me,…Even with Charles he would struggle a lot. And with me? He has no chances. No chances. First round. First minutes of the fight. What’s he going to do? Go for the takedowns. Bro, come on…

Ilia Topuria to Scott Fontana (@Scott_Fontana) for The New York Post Sports’ Against The Cage

The Team ATT fighter got his first crack due to his history with the then-champ and their 2019 short-notice showdown. Tsarukyan’s built his four-win streak against Damir Ismagulov, Joaquim Silva, Beneil Dariush, and IFW festivity showcase UFC 317 PPV title challenger Charles Oliveira.

He defeated “Do Bronx” during last April’s UFC 300 PPV lineup to become the No. 1 seed for lightweight gold. But he and Topuria never had friction. Matter of fact, Tsarukyan welcomed the inclusion of such a star and the implications of a title campaign with back-to-back KOs over Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, which got him here.

However, now, it’s no-holds-barred, and Tsarukyan is on a hard pass that he should have made a tact move and not pitched in to be a PPV title backup for Topuria vs. Oliveira. As such, he is ready to make championship weight this Saturday, and has fired back on the commentary.

Arman Tsarukyan replied to UFC 317’s Ilia Topuria

A four-fight winning streak at lightweight is Tsarukyan’s current status. But his UFC 311 pullout slowed his roll a bit, and UFC CEO Dana White billed that he would need to earn his title shot back again. The Armenian agreed to it with a series of callouts going, soon after.

Tension is starting to build in for Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan
Tension is starting to build in for Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan (Source: X)

Ilia Topuria is much of the same opinion, billing he won’t “give him the chance immediately,” and that Ahalkalakets needs to log some more 155-pound ballot wins to get back in the good graces. Topuria name-dropped Justin Gaethje as a worthy name for top shot.

He also has some friction and much history going on with No.8-ranked lightweight Paddy Pimblett and would rather hash it out with him in a money fight. Pimblett is a good PPV draw in the UK crowd and has bossman blessings to be a top name one day. Barring that, Topuria presented that the top guys need to fight each other in a possible title eliminator to warrant a shot. Arman Tsarukyan disagreed, with a stern warning:

You better pray nothing happens to Charles, because I’m the worst possible matchup for you in this division. There’s a reason you’re fighting the guy I already beat, and not me, for that belt.

Arman Tsarukyan via X (@ArmanUfc)

As per the early money line, Topuria opened a sizable -345 favorite to beat Charles Oliveira for the belt this Saturday. He has earth-shattering power, crisp technique, and is yet undefeated (16-0). However, should luck have it any other way, Tasrukyan could either step in, or have a PPV title grudge spot match on the weekend.

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