Ilia Topuria has finally acknowledged Arman Tsarukyan’s callouts after UFC Fight Night 265 and said he will fight him if the UFC offers it.
After pulling out of a January title shot vs. then-champ Islam Makhachev at UFC 311, Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) finally got back in the octagon and showed he should be the top contender with a second-round submission of Dan Hooker (24-13 MMA, 14-9 UFC) in Doha, Qatar.
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With Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) now holding the belt, a feud with Tsarukyan has been growing. The pair have exchanged words in recent months, and Topuria even claimed he would vacate the belt before giving Tsarukyan the opportunity to fight for it.
The champ’s attitude has seemingly shifted now, however. According to Topuria, he will accept the fight if that’s what the UFC wants, even though he thinks Tsarukyan has presented different energy when they have been face-to-face compared to interviews and online (via X):
Whether the UFC agrees with Tsarukyan’s desires remains to be seen. He is the highest-ranked available contender and coming off five straight wins, but there is also talks around two other potential options.
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Former interim UFC lightweight champ and former BMF titleholder Justin Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) have given a title shot or retirement ultimatum to the organization, while rising star Paddy Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) has also had his name consistently in the conversation, with Topuria previously stating that was his top option.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Ilia Topuria responds to ‘scared duck’ Arman Tsarukyan after UFC Qatar
