Ilia Topuria fans should be ‘scared’ about Arman Tsarukyan fight, says Daniel Cormier

UFC commentator Daniel Cormier has explained why Arman Tsarukyan would serve as a tricky opponent for Ilia Topuria if the two were to meet.

Ilia Topuria is perhaps the biggest active star in mixed martial arts right now, and we don’t exactly think that’s a stretch. He is coming off the back of three electric knockout wins over Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira – and the scariest part is that he may well only just be getting started.

As we look ahead to the future, there are plenty of names lining up to face Ilia Topuria, including Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett. Of course, in the wake of his win over Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar, Arman Tsarukyan may well have jumped to the top of the list.

In a recent podcast, Daniel Cormier gave his thoughts on how Ilia Topuria vs Arman Tsarukyan could play out, and why Ilia’s supporters should be a bit concerned.

Daniel Cormier’s view on Ilia Topuria vs Arman Tsarukyan

I think Paddy Pimblett’s fun, I think Paddy Pimblett has a bright future in fighting, but I believe that the two best lightweights in the world, if Islam Makhachev is now the welterweight champion, are Arman Tsarukyan and Ilia Topuria, and that’s not even a question anymore,” Cormier said on his “Good Guy/Bad Guy” show with Chael Sonnen. I thought that Paddy Pimblett getting into the octagon after Ilia won the belt, to me, was a little bit odd because I didn’t feel like him beating Michael Chandler should have warranted him being in that spot.

“I thought that the biggest issue would be trying to do away with the images of Paddy in the cage with Ilia after he became the champion, but then when you watch Arman Tsarukyan last weekend – bro, he’s big, he’s strong, he can really wrestle, he can strike. He can do just about everything, and his top control is what’s a real issue, and I believe that’s the problem. That’s the scary thought for anyone that are Ilia Topuria fans because if there’s anyone that can replicate that game of Makhachev, or at least to a degree, it’s Arman Tsarukyan.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie