Ilia Topuria Reportedly Wants Arman Tsarukyan Next After Justin Gaethje Fight
As per recent reports, reigning UFC lightweight titleholder Ilia Topuria is now interested in fighting top contender Arman Tsarukyan.
In the past, “El Matador” had no interest in fighting the Armenian. Tsarukyan submitted Dan Hooker last year at UFC Qatar, after which he wasted no time in calling out Topuria. However, at that time, the Georgian-Spaniard said no to Tsarukyan and even opined that he would vacate his title but not fight the Armenian.
Ilia Topuria wants to defend his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan
Ilia Topuria will face current and two-time interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC Freedom 250. After this title unification clash, in which “El Matador” is confident he will win in Round 1 by KO, he wants to defend his throne against “Ahalkalakets.” During an interview with Carlos Contreras Legaspi, he admitted the same as per Legaspi.
“He really wants to fight Arman. If there’s one title defense, he’ll want it to be against Arman next. At that point, it would be undeniable. I think if Ilia wins, Arman Tsarukyan will be the next title defense and then we’ll see what happens after that. Because there’s also the ambition of fighting Islam.”
Check out what Carlos Contreras Legaspi has to say about Ilia Topuria below:
After the June 14 bout, Topuria will either remain as the lightweight kingpin or vacate and move up to 170-pounds to fight champion Islam Makhachev. He has also shown interest in fighting Conor McGregor if “The Notorious” wins his comeback bout against Max Holloway in July.
Arman Tsarukyan, on the other hand, will serve as the official backup for the Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje fight, as announced by Dana White. The 29-year-old being selected as the backup fighter for another lightweight title fight is a good sign for him and his fans. In the past, due to Tsarukyan’s antics inside and outside the octagon, “Ahalkalaket” was denied a title shot.
If things go as planned on June 14 and no one gets injured, Tsarukyan could emerge as the next lightweight title challenger after the White House event, and fans could hope to witness a blockbuster clash with Topuria by the end of the year while both fighters remain in their prime.
