Paul Felder criticized UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria for avoiding a fight with Arman Tsarukyan.
After knocking out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 last month, Ilia Topuria‘s UFC lightweight title reign has officially kicked off. Topuria became one of just a handful of UFC legends to earn multiple world titles, joining the ranks of Conor McGregor and Jon Jones.
Since earning the UFC lightweight title, Topuria has repeatedly dismissed a potential showdown with No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan for his first title defense.
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Paul Felder criticizes Ilia Topuria’s recent comments on fighting Arman Tsarukyan
Topuria raised eyebrows when he said he’d rather vacate the lightweight belt than grant Tsarukyan a title shot. Tsarukyan was supposed to fight then lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev earlier this year in the UFC 311 main event before withdrawing on hours’ notice due to injury.
Topuria was criticized by many fans on social media for his remarks, with some labeling it as the ‘most blatant ducking’ in UFC history by a reigning champion. Tsarukyan hasn’t fought since UFC 311 and a timeline for his return to the Octagon remains uncertain.
One top UFC analyst scolded Topuria for his stance, and believes it’s part of a larger issue when it comes to titleholders holding up their divisions.
During a recent episode of Believe You Me, UFC analyst Paul Felder weighed in on Topuria’s stance towards Tsarukyan.
“I mean the guy’s the number one contender,” Felder asserted. “And to say that you would rather relinquish the belt than fight him is- come on man, we’re getting a little carried away.
“In this generation of fighters, when they get to the top position, they are so willing to jump around weight classes and try to deny fighting guys. It’s not how it f****** works. If you’re the best and he’s not on your level and all this kind of stuff, then prove it. Just go out there and prove it, I hate that.
“Look, the UFC’s not gonna try and put you in a position that’s not gonna be a big thing,” Felder continued. “And I think you’re getting to a position, Ilia, where you are the thing. They don’t need the other guy to necessarily be the thing. You’re the guy that people wanna see.” (h/t MMA Knockout)
Topuria ascended to the UFC’s top pound-for-pound fighter with his knockout of Oliveira at UFC 317. Since UFC 317, Topuria has entertained potential fights with the likes of Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett, repeatedly ignoring calls to fight Tsarukyan.
In the meantime, Topuria’s feud with McGregor took a bizarre turn earlier this week.
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McGregor turned heads this week when he shared a new look, inspired by UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell‘s famous mohawk. McGregor recently shared a meme of Topuria’s face swapped in place of his own, seeming to mock comparisons between the two brash UFC stars.
After McGregor’s meme went viral, he quickly deleted the post from his Instagram story. As of this writing, Topuria hasn’t responded to McGregor’s latest jabs.
UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov inflamed his long-standing beef with McGregor when he compared Topuria and McGregor’s behavior outside of the cage. This prompted McGregor to go on a since-deleted social media rant on his UFC 229 counterpart.
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