Ilia Topuria is Now Willing to Take Fight He Has Long Resisted?

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Ilia Topuria has changed his position on a potential fight with Arman Tsarukyan. The lightweight champion previously said he would rather vacate his belt than face the Armenian contender, citing a lack of confidence that Tsarukyan would actually make it to the octagon.

That stance has now shifted, with Topuria telling The Ariel Helwani Show that he is prepared to fight whoever is put in front of him at UFC White House on June 14.

“If they call me tomorrow and they tell me Justin is injured and I have to fight Arman, I will fight Arman, no problem,” Topuria said. “If they call me and they tell me that Arman is injured and I have to fight Ariel, I’m gonna fight Ariel, no problem. I go wherever, whenever, I’m ready.”

Ilia Topuria record: 17-0 (7 knockouts, 8 submissions)

The context behind the shift is Tsarukyan’s ongoing campaign to replace Justin Gaethje as Topuria’s opponent on the card. Tsarukyan has publicly advised Gaethje to withdraw so that he can step in, and has stated his intention to be ready for the June 14 date regardless. Topuria’s previous resistance to that scenario made the replacement fight seem unlikely even if Gaethje pulled out, but his latest comments remove that obstacle.

The willingness to take the fight does not mean Topuria has developed any newfound respect for Tsarukyan. During the same Helwani Show appearance, he made his opinion of the contender abundantly clear.

“He’s a kid. His mentality, he’s dumb as f—,” he said. “Everything that I saw about him on the internet is embarrassing. F— Arman, who cares about him? He’s not on my level. If we cross paths, I’m gonna break his jaw in the first round.”

With Paddy Pimblett currently out of the lightweight title picture, Topuria vs. Tsarukyan is widely regarded as the most compelling matchup available in the division. Whether it happens at the White House or at a future date depends on Gaethje’s health, but Topuria’s updated position means the fight now has a real path to happening sooner rather than later.