“Duck is Still Ducking” – Arman Tsarukyan Gets Relentless with Ilia Topuria Disses

Top lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan mocks the newly crowned champion Ilia Topuria for ducking him.

“Duck is Still Ducking” – Arman Tsarukyan Gets Relentless with Ilia Topuria Disses

Arman Tsarukyan takes a new dig at Ilia Topuria (via X)

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The UFC lightweight division has historically been the most competitive one and continues to remain the same. Recently, the division saw the emergence of a new champion after Ilia Topuria lifted the belt by knocking out Charles Oliveira. However, following that, the Georgian-Spanish fighter has been welcomed by top contenders, and one of them is Arman Tsarukyan. 

A few months ago, Tsarukyan was forced to withdraw from his title bout with Islam Makhachev due to an untimely injury. Despite the setback, he remains the number one contender, but Topuria is unwilling to offer him a title shot. Recently, the Armenian fighter took a jab at Topuria through a fiery new post on Instagram.

Still training…. and the duck is still ducking. 

Arman Tsarukyan via Instagram

In the post, Tsarukyan looked in perfect fighting shape and used Topuria’s walkout music to extend the taunt even further. Since the moment Topuria became champion, Tsarukyan has done everything within his power to secure a well-deserved UFC lightweight title shot. He has wagered a huge $500K bet and mocked the knockout star for avoiding the division’s top-ranked title contender.

Tsarukyan even questioned Topuria’s wrestling skills by pointing out his clear struggle against Bryce Mitchell back in the featherweight division. Mitchell agreed and claimed that if Tsarukyan or Islam Makhachev gets a strong hold of Topuria, the fight ends instantly. However, Mitchell’s success seems far exaggerated as the Arkansas native landed just one takedown from 9 attempts.

Topuria avoiding the top contender has sparked comparisons to Jon Jones avoiding Tom Aspinall while being the reigning heavyweight champion. Instead of facing Tsarukyan, Topuria seems more focused on fighting Paddy Pimblett and has already confronted him once inside the octagon.

Because of Pimblett’s massive fanbase in the UK, this fight could easily generate huge pay-per-view numbers and international attention. Topuria has boldly promised to submit Pimblett inside the cage and finally end their long-standing, heated, and very personal rivalry.

Ilia Topuria gets his credit from the UFC middleweight champion 

Ilia Topuria made his name by knocking out elite fighters and former champions like Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira. His explosive striking, undefeated record, and brutal finishes quickly turned him into one of the most feared names in the UFC. After winning his second UFC gold, the fighter has also teased his interest in becoming the first three-division champion in UFC.

Ilia Topuria wins the lightweight championship
Ilia Topuria wins the lightweight championship (via X)

Now as the pound-for-pound king, Topuria, also broke records with his UFC trading cards, becoming the best-selling collectibles in history. As the new generation of champions, Topuria has done everything he has said and has inspired others, including Dricus Du Plessis. In a recent interview, the middleweight champion talked about ‘El Matador’ in detail and compared his momentum to his. 

We were on the same trajectory, winning our titles one month apart. I’m super happy for him. I think he’s one of those special characters who’s going to be a Hall of Famer, no doubt. He’s the first unbeaten guy to have two titles…I think he’s incredible and, in my opinion, one of the best, if not the best in the UFC right now.

Dricus Du Plessis via Betway South Africa

Just like Topuria, DDP gained massive popularity by winning the middleweight belt and defending it multiple times. Despite having an awkward and unorthodox fighting style, DDP continues to dominate his opponents and secure unexpected victories. His trash-talking is brutally effective, emotionally breaking down opponents with personal digs that crossed lines, but entertained UFC fans worldwide.

Currently, he is scheduled to fight Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319, and the bout is highly anticipated across the world. Interestingly, despite being the champion, Du Plessis enters the fight as a surprising underdog according to betting odds.

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