UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria isn’t a fan of Arman Tsarukyan’s growing presence outside of the Octagon as he waits for a title shot.
Ilia Topuria will return to defend his UFC lightweight championship against interim titleholder Justin Gaethje on the White House lawn this summer. Topuria vs. Gaethje headlines an intriguing card at UFC Freedom 250, which features the returns of Alex Pereira, Bo Nickal, and Michael Chandler.
The winner of Topuria vs. Gaethje will likely fight top contender Arman Tsarukyan, who remains sidelined following an impressive finish over Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar last year. As Tsarukyan continues to wait for another lightweight title shot, he’s kept busy outside of the cage, including making himself into a household name in Real American Freestyle.
During his UFC hiatus, Tsarukyan has appeared in numerous streams and podcasts as he continues to market his brand outside of the Octagon. Topuria, undoubtedly one of the UFC’s biggest superstars, has had enough of Tsarukyan’s antics.
Ilia Topuria scorches Arman Tsarukyan ahead of potential title fight clash
In a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Topuria was asked about Tsarukyan’s rising star power outside of the UFC, and didn’t hold back.
“I’m really impressed by how dumb he is. He’s a r*****. He’s a kid with his mentality, dumb as f***,” Topuria said of Tsarukyan.
“Everything I’ve seen about him on the internet is embarrassing. F*** Arman, who cares about him? The thing I don’t like is when he says he’s rich and talks about his money. You’re not even rich! You’re spending your father’s money, not even yours.
“He’s a f****** kid. He’s not on my level,” Topuria continued. “If we cross paths, I’m going to break his jaw in the first round. What’s he going to do? Take me down? Please. Calm down, do your thing, go do those wrestling tournaments, streams, and whenever the moment arrives, just make sure to show up, and I’m going to do the rest. Little weasel.”
As of this writing, Tsarukyan hasn’t responded to Topuria’s comments. If anything happens with the UFC Freedom 250 main event, don’t be surprised if Tsarukyan is the first fighter the matchmakers call to save the day.
What is your prediction for Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje? Let us know in the comments!
