Arman Tsarukyan sends a message to Ilia Topuria: “See you soon”

Arman Tsarukyan has sent a message to Ilia Topuria as he looks to get the next title shot.

Topuria became the UFC’s lightweight champion with a stunning first-round knockout win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. Following the win, Paddy Pimblett came into the Octagon to face off with Topuria, but it’s not definitive that he will be next.

Instead, Tsarukyan, Pimblett, and Justin Gaethje could all get the next title shot. With that, Tsarukyan sent a message to Topuria as he believes he is the clear-cut next contender.

“I just want to say, Ilia, you know who is the No. 1 contender, and you know exactly who you are going to fight, and it’s me. Don’t try and play with anybody. So, I’ll see you soon,” Tsarukyan said to Ariel Helwani.

Tsarukyan is currently ranked second, as Islam Makhachev is ranked No. 1, but he is moving up to welterweight, so Tsarukyan is indeed the No. 1 contender according to the rankings. However, whether or not the UFC will give him the next title shot is uncertain.

Arman Tsarukyan accuses Ilia Topuria of ducking him

At UFC 317, Ilia Topuria was facing Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title.

However, after Topuria made quick work of Oliveira, Arman Tsarukyan took to X and felt like he should have been one fighting Topuria.

“It was never supposed to be Charles. I can finish Ilia, simple as that. And he knows it too. That’s why he’s avoiding the real #1 contender,” Tsarukyan wrote on X.

Topuria, meanwhile, has claimed Tsarukyan is scared of him and is trying to avoid fighting him, saying he’s injured.

“He looked scared,” Topuria said to ESPN Deportes. “He had a look of shock on his face when he saw the knockout, he was like, ‘I was going to be the replacement for this fight, thank God nothing happened to Charles because this could have been me.’ He always makes weight when he knows he’s not going to fight. But when he knows he’s fighting, he tries to make weight and goes, ‘Oh, my back!'”

Arman Tsarukyan is 22-3 as a pro and riding a four-fight winning streak. He’s coming off a split decision win over Oliveira.