Ilia Topuria cannot be counted out of ’50/50′ superfight against Islam Makhachev, claims Arman Tsarukyan
Top contender Arman Tsarukyan gives his take on a possible Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev lightweight super fight.
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Arman Tsarukyan pitches in on Ilia Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev (Source: X/IMAGO)
Reigning UFC 155-pound champ Islam Makhachev is seeking new blood in the division. Despite his reluctance to fight former featherweights, Ilia Topuria could be one. Topuria is relinquishing his 145-pound strap and has wanted another gold for a while now. Now, Makhachev’s supposed former enemy Arman Tsarukyan pitches in on this new dynamic.
Arman Tsarukyan is still the No. 1-ranked fighter in the lightweight athlete listings. But “Ahalkalakets” pulled out of facing Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 due to injury. Now, brass has sent him to the drawing board, and he has acclimated to that fate. Meanwhile, Ilia Topuria looks like a good bet to challenge the champ in the near future. It has made Tsarukyan to not count him out of it.
It’s a tough fight, uh, Ilia… He’s, …he, he has better striking; like good boxing. I don’t know his, uh, uh…like he never fought with guys who can wrestle very well, like Islam. So we’ll say it’s a 50/50 fight.
Arman Tsarukyan to The Schmo via the Schmozone Podcast (@theschmo312)
Like a handful of others, mountain-man brawler Arman Tsarukyan supported ‘El Matador’, and his shift to lightweight. Club Climente has said Ilia Topuria’s grappling remains untested, even more impressive than his standup, which remains to be seen. He had his grappling problems against Bryce Mitchell and others.
Mitchell was able to use his wrestling to hamper the striking flow of Topuria when they faced-off at UFC 282. As such, a well-rounded fighter who can take Topuria down could become a major worry. Per BetOnline.ag Sportsbooks, Topuria thus propped up as the +220 betting underdog. Makhachev is the promotion’s No. 1-ranked Pound-for-pound name and has an all-around arsenal.
In the meanwhile, the Armenian himself wants a top-5 UFC 155-pound contender battle to get back to title shot. Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, and others remain top choices. Topuria is hardly a name on the map now. Given his star power, he may receive the title shot or a title eliminator. If that be the case, Tsarukyan is ready for anyone ranked top and would accept a fight with the Spanish-Georgian star.
Who gets to undisputed lightweight gold first?
There are a lot of names in the convoluted lightweight roster that always stay ready for the top spot. Barring his neck injury mishap, Arman Tsarukyan was one such name, and he’s ready to get back to it. The duo has a history as well. A fresh Tsarukyan gave Islam Makhachev a run for his money during his 2019 short-notice showdown.
After his UFC 313 PPV co-main’s win, Gaethje is back to pursuing the belt. The human “Highlight” reel is 0-2 in UFC lightweight title battles. He has lost to Oliveira and even Makhachev’s mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, his current trajectory puts him at an advantage. UFC brass is also warm to the idea that he deserves it.
Much like that, “Do Bronxs” also has his promise to be the UFC 155-pound top seed. Even though he lost out on the digits to Arman Tsarukyan, Oliveira later rebounded at UFC 309. Ilia Topuria challenged Oliveira in a top contender bout for the gold. Given his star power, if Topuria can get through one or two big names, he might get that fight. Michael Chandler had his title crack in his sophomore bout.
Meanwhile, Tsarukyan vs. Gaethje for a top contender matchup also makes all the sense in the world. Jon Anik, Henry Cejudo, and others are already fueling the thought that Gaethje is standing ground as the No. 1 contender. As such, Tsarukyan, Gaethje, and Topuria all make good cases for the top spot. Even though “El Matador” is the wild card, he has major support, and the rest remains on UFC matchmakers.
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