Ilia Topuria is lined up to defend his UFC lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan, according to former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen. On the Mike Bohn podcast on August 4, 2025, Sonnen shared that the UFC has locked in this matchup, even though Topuria recently claimed he’d rather give up his belt than face Tsarukyan.
Sonnen’s take on the title fight
Sonnen was certain about the UFC’s plan, saying:
“Outside of illness or injury, even if I’m breaking news to you, I’m not sharing my opinion. I’m sharing a fact with you: It’s Arman [Tsarukyan] vs. Ilia [Topuria]. That is 100 percent the plan.”
He explained Topuria’s stance, stating:
“There’s a couple things that have changed for Tsarukyan. A bigger tell also is what Ilia did a week ago, which he said, ‘I don’t want the fight.’ Ilia’s first move for doing a fight is to deny the fight. It’s just his approach. Anderson Silva had one. He would always deny the fight and he would let that run for about two weeks. He would then accept the fight. Ilia’s first move when he’s going to fight a guy, aside from Paddy Pimblett, is to say to, ‘I’m not going to fight the guy.’”
Chael Sonnen says Ilia Topuria vs. Arman Tsarukyan is “100 percent the plan” for UFC next.
“Ilia’s first move when he’s going to fight a guy, besides Paddy, is to say, ‘I’m not fighting him.'”
(via @MikeBohn) pic.twitter.com/6l0bvZsuAi
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) August 4, 2025
Ilia Topuria, 28, is from Georgia, Spain, and remains undefeated at 17-0. He won the UFC featherweight title in 2024 by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 and vacated it to move to lightweight. At UFC 317, he knocked out Charles Oliveira with a head kick to claim the lightweight title. His wins include Max Holloway and Brian Ortega, showing his strength in striking and grappling.
Arman Tsarukyan, 28, is from Armenia and has a 23-3 record. He’s the top-ranked lightweight contender, with victories over Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in April 2024 and Beneil Dariush. Tsarukyan pulled out of a title fight against Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 in January 2025 due to a back injury but was the backup fighter for Topuria’s title win at UFC 317.
In February 2025, Sonnen said Topuria needed to face a top contender like Tsarukyan or Oliveira before challenging then-champion Islam Makhachev, who later vacated the lightweight title for welterweight. Topuria’s claim that Makhachev was dodging him stirred debate among fans and analysts.
In July 2025, Tsarukyan offered a $500,000 bet to Topuria to accept the fight, showing his confidence. Topuria’s refusal to acknowledge Tsarukyan as a contender drew criticism from Michael Bisping and Paul Felder, who said champions should face top challengers.
Sonnen’s comments point to a confirmed title fight between Topuria and Tsarukyan, likely in late 2025, though no official date is set. Tsarukyan’s wrestling could test Topuria’s ground game, while Topuria’s striking remains a threat.
