Bad blood is brewing between UFC 317 headliner Ilia Topuria and backup Arman Tsarukyan.
If anything happens with Charles Oliveira this week ahead of UFC 317, Arman Tsarukyan is ready to silence Ilia Topuria in the Octagon for the vacant lightweight title.
Topuria and Oliveira will headline UFC 317 this Saturday in Las Vegas for the UFC’s vacant lightweight belt. Tsarukyan will serve as the main event backup if anything happens with either headlining fighter.
Tsarukyan is eager for another lightweight title shot after pulling out on hours’ notice at UFC 311. His acceptance of the UFC 317 backup role shows how serious he is about getting back into the lightweight title conversation.
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Arman Tsarukyan slams Ilia Topuria for questioning his acceptance of UFC 317 backup
But according to Topuria, he believes Tsarukyan is making a massive mistake in integrating himself into UFC 317 fight week.
During a recent interview with New York Post Sports, Topuria eviscerated Tsarukyan for accepting the UFC 317 backup fighter role.
“That’s a bad decision for him,” Topuria said of Tsarukyan.
“I don’t know why he accepted, because you can’t come here as a backup fighter. I don’t know how did he train for this fight? If something happens to anyone, even to me, — think that there’s no possibility that something could happen with me, but who knows?
“No one knows what’s going to happen tomorrow,” Topuria continued. “Even with Charles he would struggle a lot. And with me? He has no chances. No chances. First round. First minutes of the fight. What’s he going to do? Go for the takedowns. Bro, come on.” (h/t MMA Fighting)
It didn’t take long for Tsarukyan to take notice of Topuria’s remarks, as he responded in a recent X post.
“You better pray nothing happens to Charles, because I’m the worst possible matchup for you in this division,” Tsarukyan posted. “There’s a reason you’re fighting the guy I already beat, and not me, for that belt.”
Tsarukyan hasn’t fought since defeating Oliveira last year at UFC 300. He was supposed to face Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 before a last-second back injury forced him off the card.
UFC CEO Dana White and the rest of the promotion want Tsarukyan to win at least one more fight before making another title shot case. Matchups with Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje are in the mix for Tsarukyan’s next bout, if his services this weekend aren’t required.
Ilia Topuria might face a longtime rival with a win at UFC 317
If Topuria gets the win at UFC 317, he may call out a longtime adversary for his first lightweight title defense.
Topuria and Pimblett have been on each other’s nerves for years, stemming from their 2022 fighter hotel brawl. Pimblett defeated Michael Chandler at UFC 314 to cement himself as a rising contender in the lightweight division.
But Topuria wants Pimblett to defeat another top contender before they settle their unfinished business. He suggested Pimblett face the ‘easiest’ challenge in the lightweight division, Gaethje, in a potential No. 1 contender fight.
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