Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Arman Tsarukyan (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Charles Oliveira (not pictured) during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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Arman Tsarukyan Dismisses The Lightweight Division As Pretenders; Believes UFC Is Shielding Ilia Topuria From Him

Arman Tsarukyan has been knocking on the door of a title shot for what feels like forever. The lightweight contender earned his number one ranking by beating Charles Oliveira in a split decision back in April 2024. That victory should have locked in a championship opportunity, but injuries derailed his momentum.

The Armenian fighter made bold claims during a recent interview stating that he’s the only person who can beat Ilia Topuria right now. That’s a massive statement considering how dominant the former featherweight champion has looked in his recent performances. His confidence borders on arrogance, but at least he backs it up with legitimate skills and wins.

Arman Tsarukyan Says He’s The Only Real Threat

When Ariel Helwani asked about potential matchups for Ilia Topuria, Arman Tsarukyan didn’t hold back his opinion. He flat-out said he’s the only fighter who can beat Topuria in the division right now. Tsarukyan believes everyone knows this, including the UFC brass, which is why they’re pushing other contenders ahead of him. He suggested the promotion is deliberately avoiding the matchup because they know how dangerous he is for their new star. That’s a conspiracy theory that might actually hold some water given how matchmaking sometimes works.

“No way (Paddy can beat Ilia). I’m the only one that can beat Ilia, for now, in our division. And everybody knows that. Even the UFC knows that, that’s why they’re trying to push him as much as possible… If I go and perform very well and finish Hooker, they can not avoid me anymore.”

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Tsarukyan thinks the UFC is trying to build Topuria up by feeding him more favorable stylistic matchups. Names like Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett have been mentioned as potential next opponents for the featherweight champion. But Tsarukyan believes those fights play more to Topuria’s strengths than a bout against him would.

He is probably not wrong. His wrestling and grappling could pose serious problems for Topuria’s striking heavy game. This will also be Topuria’s toughest matchup in the lightweight division. Tsarukyan told Helwani that if he goes out and finishes Dan Hooker impressively at UFC Qatar, the UFC can’t avoid giving him a title shot anymore. He is essentially drawing a line in the sand and daring the promotion to ignore him.

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

Arman Tsarukyan

Dan Hooker

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!