Arman Tsarukyan is making it clear where he believes he fits in the UFC lightweight title picture.
In an interview with PBD, Tsarukyan argued that Ilia Topuria has become a dangerous boxer, but his own kicks, clinch work, and wrestling make him the kind of matchup Topuria’s team would rather avoid. He also confirmed he is a backup option for the UFC White House card and remains focused on winning the 155-pound title.
Tsarukyan is an Armenian professional mixed martial artist, submission grappler, and freestyle wrestler who competes in the UFC lightweight division. Topuria is the UFC lightweight champion and a former UFC featherweight champion. Justin Gaethje is a two-time interim UFC lightweight champion and former BMF titleholder, while Michael Chandler is a former three-time Bellator lightweight champion who later challenged for the UFC lightweight title.
Watch the interview below:
Tsarukyan Breaks Down Why He Likes The Topuria Matchup
Tsarukyan opened his Topuria breakdown with respect, calling him a:
“Good fighter, good mindset, good boxer,” before explaining why he believes Topuria’s game has become easier to read. “So he used to be a wrestler and then he understood wrestling is a waste of energy. And then he started boxing, he improved his boxing.”
From Tsarukyan’s view, Topuria now leans heavily on one weapon because blending wrestling and striking over five rounds is difficult.
“Now he box people because it’s hard to wrestle and box in 25 minutes, unless if you’re Khabib or Khamzat,” Tsarukyan explained. “So they can wrestle 25 minutes, don’t stop.”
Tsarukyan framed Topuria as elite in one major area, but not complete enough to control every range against him.
“Nowadays he just do good thing, it’s a box. That’s it. He doesn’t kick, he doesn’t wrestle. So his main thing, it’s a box.” That is why Tsarukyan likes his own chances, adding, “For me, it’s easy because I have good kicks that I can stay on the kick distance. And if he comes with the box, I wrestle him or I clinch him.”
He believes Topuria’s side understands that risk.
“They know that too. They’re gonna try to avoid, they’re gonna try to move up after this fight.” Tsarukyan then claimed Topuria’s team sees him as a difficult assignment, saying, “He’s gonna say, they cannot fight me because it’s like even his teammate, they know it’s tough fight. It’s a tough fight.”
Tsarukyan also argued that Topuria has more favorable name-value options available.
“Why we should take the tough fight if we can fight with Oliveira, Gaethje, the guys who is like end of their career and they cannot do everything,” he said. “And they have a bad chin, they drop so much. So if they’re gonna hit them, they’re gonna lose, you know?”
His prediction is that Topuria could win the title, defend it, and then move away from the division before facing him.
“Probably he’s gonna get the title, he’s gonna defend the title and say, I’m gonna leave this title,” Tsarukyan said. “He’s gonna leave this title, so. It’s my opinion.”
Tsarukyan also questioned whether Topuria’s public confidence would hold up when the fight becomes realistic.
“If he’s on the camera, he’s saying, I don’t care, I fight Arman,” Tsarukyan said. “But when the time comes to fight Arman, he’s always like trying to find excuses.”
Asked about Topuria previously suggesting he could knock him out, Tsarukyan did not claim to remember the exact wording, but recalled the general idea.
“I don’t remember to be honest, but he said easy. I think easy, I’ll take this fight.” He then described what he understood Topuria’s response to be: “What he’s gonna do, he’s gonna wrestle me, I’m gonna defend, what else? He cannot box and I’m gonna knock him out or something like that.”
Tsarukyan also pushed back on the idea that he should accept lower-ranked opponents just to stay active.
“They never give me like two names, only one. Here’s your fight. Yeah, and I’ll take it.” He insisted there was only one offer he declined, explaining, “I turned down just one fight because I was number 10, or I was number one, and they gave me like number 10 or 11, the guy who was losing everybody.”
That refusal, according to Tsarukyan, was about ranking logic.
“I turned down the fight because they never give me fight when I was number 10, or number 11 with number one contender. Why I beat number nine? Why I beat number eight? Why you give this guy like a present to fight with number one contender, and he’s nobody, and he lose to Oliveira, he lose to Dariush, he lose to Hooker, and I beat everybody, and you’re gonna give me this fight.”
Tsarukyan wanted a better opponent from the top of the division.
“I said, I don’t wanna. Give me the better fighters, like from top five that I deserve it.” He believes that single decision changed how he was discussed, adding, “Just one fight in my life. I turned down once in my life, and I became the worst person ever.”
On Dana White, Tsarukyan kept the personal tone calm.
“I’m cool with him. I’m good with everybody in UFC.” His issue is more about how he believes matchmaking information reaches White, explaining, “I think Dana doesn’t know what’s going on, what fights is offering me, because he decided on the title fights.”
Tsarukyan pointed to Hunter Campbell and the matchmakers as the people handling much of the detail work.
“They just give him like this card. He said yes or no, or maybe he can switch, because the Hunter and matchmakers, they do all this work.” He also described White as operating at a broader business level: “He doesn’t do anything. He just run out like a business, or like a sponsorships, like a big deals.”
He returned to that point without presenting it as certainty.
“I don’t think so he’s like in making fights, because he has matchmakers and Hunter,” Tsarukyan said. “Probably they just give him the card, and he say yes or no. I think, I don’t know.”
Tsarukyan Confirms UFC White House Backup Role
Tsarukyan is not booked for the UFC White House card, but he said he is still in position if something changes.
“I’m a backup for the White House,” he said. Asked whether he would step in if someone withdrew, he answered, “Yeah, if someone pull out.” When asked if that was public information, Tsarukyan replied, “It’s not public.”
That is why he planned to keep training in California.
“That’s why I’m flying out tomorrow to back to Cali and the trainings.” Asked if he would be in if Gaethje or Topuria withdrew, Tsarukyan answered, “Yeah.”
Tsarukyan called the backup role “the goal,” while acknowledging that injuries are unpredictable. “So we never know. It’s a dangerous sport.” He still does not expect either fighter to withdraw, adding, “But these guys, they train so they don’t train hard. So lower chance.”
He was especially direct about Topuria and Gaethje’s current training.
“It’s not high because they’re both, Topuria is just hitting pads. He doesn’t do anything else.” On Gaethje, Tsarukyan added, “Gaethje, he’s super old. He just maybe like playing. He doesn’t want to like have a strong, strong sparring because it’s not good for him right now.”
If Gaethje became unavailable, Tsarukyan said he would embrace the patriotic theme of the card. “It’s okay. I’ll fight for USA.” He also claimed he would deliver the stronger performance, saying, “For sure, they’re gonna be proud more than for Gaethje. I’m gonna show better fight than Gaethje.”
Tsarukyan believes the Topuria fight is the matchup fans expect. “Everybody’s waiting for that fight.” He is not angry about the timing, explaining, “If it’s not happen now, it’s gonna eventually, it’s gonna happen. I take my time. I learn something new, getting better every day.”
He also made clear he is not dwelling on the missed January timing. “I’m not like, oh, why it doesn’t happen like it didn’t happen in January. I’m not mad. I’m just waiting for my chance.”
Tsarukyan also revealed that the UFC discussed him for a possible Chandler-related fight. “They called me for the UFC, Chandler, Ruff[y] and Chandler. They wanted me put against the Chandler and then they understood like it’s bad, bad for Chandler and he represent US.” He then gave his blunt read on that matchup: “It’s like 99.9 that I’m beating him. So and then they put Ruff[y].”
He may still be an option if that fight changes. “If someone get hurt in Ruff[y] or Chandler, they might call me too.” But when asked if the ideal fight remains the title fight, Tsarukyan answered, “Yeah, I want that.”
The conversation also touched on Islam Makhachev, who is now outside Tsarukyan’s immediate lightweight target. Tsarukyan said his focus is not a Makhachev rematch right now. “No, because I’m thinking about that title fight in my weight, 155. He moved up, right?”
He left room for a future meeting if both careers line up later. “If you stay long, long in this game, yeah, I would like to go up and fight him. But right now my goal is to get the title fight in the 155 probably.”
Tsarukyan then laid out the rough path he is watching.
“So there is a probably in this summer and the end of the summer. Or they give me BMF title in June 11.” He narrowed it to two tracks: “Either BMF July or title fight and then end of this summer or September, October, Topuria.”
Tsarukyan sees Topuria’s boxing-heavy style as something he can attack with kicks, clinch work, and wrestling. He is training as a White House card backup, but if that call does not come, his focus remains BMF gold or the UFC lightweight title.
