Arman Tsarukyan admitted he was impressed by Ilia Topuria`s performance at UFC 317 this past Saturday. Topuria secured the vacant lightweight championship by knocking out Charles Oliveira in the first round of the main event. While many anticipated a Topuria victory, the swift and decisive nature of the finish was particularly striking, even to Tsarukyan, who observed the fight from cageside.
“I was impressed because it happened in the first round,” Tsarukyan commented, acknowledging the speed of the finish. He added, “But I knew he has one of the best boxing in our division right now. His best weapon is boxing. When he knocked him out like that, I was surprised. He just fold straight. It was a good knockout.”
For Tsarukyan, this outcome was strategically favorable. “When the fight started, I wanted Topuria to win, because, for me, it’s easier to fight Topuria than Oliveira,” he explained. This preference stems from their differing ground games. “For my style. Because I like to take down people. When you take down Charles Oliveira, he can still choke you or do submissions. Topuria is going to try to get up. He’s going to defend. And then you can just go 1000 times to take him down because there’s no problems on the ground. He’s not going to try to choke you or something.”
However, Tsarukyan`s appreciation for Topuria`s win was overshadowed by events that transpired immediately afterward. Following his victory speech, Topuria called out Paddy Pimblett, who was also present cageside. UFC commentator Joe Rogan subsequently invited Pimblett into the octagon for an impromptu face-off. UFC CEO Dana White later stated this interaction should not have occurred, a sentiment echoed by Tsarukyan.
“It was a Joe Rogan mistake,” Tsarukyan asserted, identifying Rogan as the one responsible for calling Pimblett into the cage. “It was a Joe Rogan mistake, and he shouldn’t even call his name and bring him to the octagon. He called out Paddy to come to the octagon.” Tsarukyan initially felt upset by the spectacle, viewing it as more theatrical than purely sporting. “For 20, 30 minutes I was, of course, upset, because I said, ‘This is not sport, this is WWE. They can do whatever they want to do.`”
Tsarukyan`s frustration stemmed from concerns that Pimblett might leapfrog him for a title opportunity despite Tsarukyan`s recent record against top contenders. “I’ve been fighting with everybody and had a good winning streak with top fighters,” he stated. However, hearing Dana White`s reaction provided some reassurance. “But then, when I listened to Dana’s interview about Paddy, I said, OK, hopefully he’s not fighting for the title. They must put me on the title because I’m No. 1 contender, most deserving fighter right now. After me, they can fight. But next it’s me, for sure.”
While the identity of Topuria`s first title challenger remains uncertain, with Tsarukyan, Pimblett, and potentially Justin Gaethje in contention, Tsarukyan is confident he possesses the skills necessary to end Topuria`s winning streak.
“He never fought with wrestlers like me, who know freestyle wrestling,” Tsarukyan claimed. He pointed to Topuria`s previous grappling encounter as evidence of his assessment. “Bryce Mitchell, as the worst fighter at 145, he took him down and held him. He got his single-leg and even he took him down, and he couldn’t escape. He was pulling guard. If you’re good on the ground, you never pull guard. You’re trying to sweep or get up from there. I can tell he’s not high level [on the ground].”
Marcus Blakely 
Wesley Dunham