Outside Source
After Ilia Topuria captured the vacant lightweight belt with a first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira in the UFC 317 headliner this past Saturday in Las Vegas, it was Paddy Pimblett, not Topuria, who entered the Octagon to face off with “El Matador.”
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Tsarukya was in attendance at UFC 317, as he served as the backup fighter for the main event. After his victory, Topuria took the opportunity to mock Tsarukyan in an interview with ESPN Deportes.
“He looked scared,” Topuria sad. “He had a look of shock on his face when he saw the knockout. He was like, ‘I was going to be the replacement for this fight, thank God nothing happened to Charles because this could have been me.’ He always makes weight when he knows he’s not going to fight. But when he knows he’s fighting, he tries to make weight and goes, ‘Oh, my back!’”
Topuria is referencing Tsarukyan’s missed opportunity at UFC 311, when the Russian fighter was forced to pull out of a proposed title fight against Islam Makhachev at the last minute due to a back injury this past January. UFC CEO Dana White later stated that Tsarukyan would not remain the lightweight division’s No. 1 contender.
Tsarukyan Responds to Topuria’s Taunts
While nothing is set in stone regarding Topuria’s first 155-pound title defense, at the moment it doesn’t seem likely that Tsarukyan is next in line. The new champion’s comments didn’t go unnoticed, however.
“Running from the real contender only proves one thing — you’re scared,” Tsarukyan wrote on X in response to Topuria. “Deep down, you know exactly what happens if you ever step in there with me.”
Running from the real contender only proves one thing – you’re scared. Deep down, you know exactly what happens if you ever step in there with me @Topuriailia https://t.co/nud1L5FVdm
— Arman Tsarukyan UFC (@ArmanUfc) July 1, 2025
Tsarukyan hasn’t competed since April 2024, when he defeated Oliveira in what was billed as a title eliminator. “Ahalkalakets” has already stated that he is also willing to serve as the backup fighter for the UFC 318 main event clash between Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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