Ilia Topuria is not impressed with Arman Tsarukyan and he’s making that crystal clear as his next title defense approaches.
Ilia Topuria is set to defend his UFC lightweight title against Justin Gaethje this summer in the headline bout of UFC Freedom 250 on the White House lawn. The card also features returns from Alex Pereira, Bo Nickal, and Michael Chandler, but much of the conversation still circles around what comes next for Ilia Topuria.
If Topuria gets past Gaethje, all signs point to a showdown with Tsarukyan, who has been waiting in the wings after his win over Dan Hooker. While he waits, Tsarukyan has stayed active outside the Octagon, building his profile through appearances, streams, and Real American Freestyle events.
That approach hasn’t sat well with Ilia Topuria.
During a recent interview, the champion didn’t hold back when addressing Tsarukyan’s rising visibility.
“I’m really impressed by how dumb he is,” Topuria said. “He’s a kid with his mentality. 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 not on my level,” he 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 and streams, and when the moment comes, just show up. I’ll do the rest.”
Despite the harsh words, Ilia Topuria’s focus remains on business inside the cage. Since moving up to lightweight, he captured the belt with a knockout win over Charles Oliveira and has quickly established himself as one of the promotion’s top stars.
Meanwhile, Tsarukyan has pushed hard for a title shot but hasn’t gotten the call. Instead, he’s leaned into self-promotion, competing in multiple grappling events and staying visible across different platforms.
“He’s not on my level,” Topuria said again. “If they call me and say Justin is out, I’ll fight Arman. No problem. Whoever, whenever — I’m ready.”
For now, everything hinges on UFC Freedom 250. But whether it happens next or later down the line, Ilia Topuria vs. Arman Tsarukyan is already heating up and the champion has made his stance loud and clear.
