UFC Champ Ilia Topuria Takes Brutal Swipe At Arman Tsarukyan: “He’s A Fu*king Kid”
Ilia Topuria has little in the way of praise for Arman Tsarukyan.
The reigning UFC lightweight champion is slated to square off against interim titleholder Justin Gaethje in a title unification bout in the main event of UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, scheduled to take place on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.
“El Matador” captured the 155-pound title with a first-round knockout victory over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. Many expected Tsarukyan to be next in line for a title shot, but the promotion instead introduced an interim belt at UFC 324 in Topuria’s absence, where Gaethje defeated Paddy Pimblett to earn his opportunity.
Meanwhile, “Ahalkalakets” has remained active outside the Octagon, competing in various grappling and wrestling events while awaiting his shot to compete for UFC gold, all while continuing to trade barbs with Topuria through social media and interviews.
Ilia Topuria Fires Shots At Arman Tsarukyan As Rivalry Intensifies
During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Ilia Topuria offered a pointed assessment of Arman Tsarukyan and his pursuits outside the UFC. “El Matador” delivered a scathing critique, emphasizing that while he respects Tsarukyan’s in-cage abilities, it is his recent antics and cultivated social media persona that he finds difficult to respect.
”I’m really impressed with how dumb he is,” Topuria said. “He’s a r*tard. I don’t know, he looks like a kid. He’s a kid. His mentality. He’s dumb as fu*k. Everything I saw about him on the internet is embarrassing. Fu*k Arman, who cares about him? The thing that I don’t like is when they play that they’re rich, and they show all that money. Bro, you’re not even rich… The only things that you have is money, and you’re spending your father’s money, not even yours. You know what I mean. He’s a fu*king kid.”
Ilia Topuria has not competed since his victory over Charles Oliveira. The 29-year-old Georgian-Spaniard remains undefeated at 17-0, including a 9-0 run in the UFC, with notable finishes over Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Bryce Mitchell.
Meanwhile, Tsarukyan was last seen in the Octagon at UFC Qatar in November, where he secured a second-round submission victory over Dan Hooker to extend his winning streak to five. “Ahalkalakets” boasts a 23-3 professional record, including a 10-2 stint in the UFC, highlighted by victories over Oliveira and Beneil Dariush.
