Jun 24, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Ilia Topuria (blue gloves) wins a unanimous decision against Josh Emmett (red gloves) in a featherweight bout during UFC Fight Night at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

mma

Ilia Topuria And Arman Tsarukyan Get Into A War Of Words Ahead Of UFC 317

Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan get into a heated war of words ahead of the UFC 317 event in Las Vegas!

The lightweight division has been through some serious drama lately. Islam Makhachev held the belt but faced questions about his competition level. Then Arman Tsarukyan was supposed to challenge him at UFC 311 but pulled out during his weight cut. That left Dana White scrambling to figure out what came next. Meanwhile, Ilia Topuria shocked the world by moving up from featherweight to chase lightweight gold. The Spanish-Georgian fighter had already knocked out Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in devastating fashion. Now he gets his shot at becoming a two-division champion against Charles Oliveira this Saturday at UFC 317.

Arman Tsarukyan accepted the backup fighter role for this weekend’s title fight. That decision didn’t sit well with Topuria, who decided to voice his opinions in the most brutal way possible. The tension between these two fighters has been building for months, and it finally exploded into public view. Both men represent different paths to lightweight greatness, and neither wants to give the other any respect.

Ilia Topuria And Arman Tsarukyan Trash Talk Each Other

Ilia Topuria didn’t hold back when asked about Arman Tsarukyan serving as the backup fighter for UFC 317. He called it a bad decision and questioned why Tsarukyan would accept such a role. Topuria believes Tsarukyan has no chance against either him or Charles Oliveira if called upon.

“With me, [Arman] has no chances. First round, first minute, what’s he gonna do? Go for the takedowns. Bro, come on.”

Topuria went even further by suggesting Tsarukyan needs to earn his title shot all over again. He pointed out that Tsarukyan had his chance against Islam Makhachev but pulled out at the last minute. In Topuria’s mind, that forfeited any claim to an immediate title shot. He mentioned other contenders like Justin Gaethje who deserve opportunities before Tsarukyan gets another crack at gold.

Tsarukyan fired back with his own verbal assault that cut deep. He told Topuria to pray nothing happens to Charles Oliveira because he represents the worst possible matchup in the division.

“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.”

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. https://t.co/qXS0lImDya
— Arman Tsarukyan UFC (@ArmanUfc) June 24, 2025

That’s a bold claim considering Topuria’s recent knockout spree. Tsarukyan also pointed out the obvious irony that Topuria is fighting someone he already beat rather than facing him directly.

Ilia responds to Arman Tsarukyan in Georgia 🇬🇪😅 calling Arman coriander#UFC317 #MMA pic.twitter.com/vWUJKO0ajh
— MMA Pros Pick (@MMA_PROS_PICK_) June 25, 2025

Following the X post by Tsaruyan, Topuria reportedly called Tsarukyan “You Coriander Leaf” in a follow-up response. This kind of creative name-calling shows Topuria’s personality beyond just the typical tough guy act. The man has a sense of humor even when he’s trying to destroy someone’s confidence. Calling someone a herb instead of using typical MMA insults takes some creativity!

(Image Credit: David Yeazell – Imagn Images)

Arman Tsarukyan

Ilia Topuria

Zaid Quraishi

mma

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!