Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Arman Tsarukyan during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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Arman Tsarukyan Willing To Fight Anyone; But Only Under One Condition!

Arman Tsarukyan says he's ready to face any opponent, but only if the UFC is willing to meet his one crucial condition!

Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Arman Tsarukyan during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The UFC lightweight division is a shark tank. Fighters climb over each other just to get a sniff of gold. But right now, things are messier than ever. Ilia Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 to claim the vacant lightweight belt. The Georgian fighter went from featherweight king to lightweight ruler in one explosive night. Yet instead of clearing up the title picture, his victory created even more confusion about who deserves the next shot. Arman Tsarukyan finds himself in a frustrating spot that many fighters know too well.

The Armenian was supposed to fight Islam Makhachev for the title at UFC 311, but a back injury forced him to pull out just hours before the event. That withdrawal cost him his golden opportunity, and now he’s watching from the sidelines as politics and money talks dominate the conversation. Topuria even faced off with Paddy Pimblett right after winning the belt, sparking rumors that the UFC wants that big money showdown instead of giving the deserving contender his due.

Arman Tsarukyan Is Ready to Fight Anyone, But Wants Guaranteed Title Shot

Tsarukyan made it clear he’s not sitting around waiting for permission to compete. The man trains twice daily and says his health is perfect now. That back injury that derailed his title shot seems to be ancient history. He’s staying active and sharp while the division sorts itself out.

The condition he put forth isn’t about money or location or opponent size. During a recent media day press conference in Los Angeles, Tsarukyan revealed that he will fight anyone the UFC puts in front of him. He further said he’s ready to fight in September or October. However, he made his ultimate goal crystal clear. Winning this fight must lead him back to a title shot. He’s not interested in being a gatekeeper or taking random fights just to stay busy. The number one contender wants assurance that his next victory puts him next for championship gold.

“I already told them I’m ready in September, October, I train twice a day and I’m healthy now. But if they told me October with somebody [else], and then December with Ilia, sure! I’ll fight anyone. But my goal is a title fight, because I know I deserve it and I’m the number one contender.”

This approach makes perfect sense from a career perspective. Tsarukyan has already proven himself against elite competition throughout his UFC run. He’s defeated quality opponents and worked his way up the rankings the hard way. Now he’s demanding that the promotion respect his position and give him fights that matter. Whether Topuria likes it or not, this lightweight division will have to deal with Arman Tsarukyan’s championship ambitions sooner or later.

(Image Credit: Mark J. Rebilas – Imagn Images)

Arman Tsarukyan

Ilia Topuria

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!