UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan does not believe Ilia Topuria will be as confident to face him as he was against Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 last weekend.
Topuria (17-0) became the 10th two-weight champion in UFC history last Saturday, when he knocked out Oliveira in the first round of their vacant title fight.
Topuria, 28, showed remarkable confidence leading up to the bout. Not only did he predict a first-round knockout, but he celebrated victory the day before the fight and wore an enormous grin on his way to the Octagon.
According to Tsarukyan, who is currently No. 2 in the UFC’s lightweight rankings, Topuria’s confidence was due to the matchup.
“He celebrated the day before because he knew already,” Tsarukyan said. “[Oliveira] is not going to knock him out, he’s not going to take him down. He’s not going to outstrike him. He has good grappling, and that is all. So, how is [Oliveira] going to win? He knew, ‘This is the best matchup for me, 99.9 percent I will win this fight.’ With me he’s not going to be super confident.”
The UFC has not tipped its hat as to whom Topuria will face next. Topuria squared off with No. 10-ranked Paddy Pimblett in the Octagon after his win, but the UFC has not committed to that matchup. Tsarukyan was supposed to challenge then-lightweight champion Islam Makhachev for the belt in January but was forced to pull out the day before with back spasms.
Tsarukyan, who is on a four-fight win streak, says he would still value a win over Makhachev more than one over Topuria, as Topuria’s past three wins have come against competitors he feels were past their prime. Topuria has been credited with one of the greatest three-fight runs in UFC history, knocking out Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and Oliveira.
“If [Topuria] were to beat me, he’d be on the same level as Islam,” Tsarukyan said. “He’s got to beat someone like me, who can wrestle. He has just had easy fights in his career. He beat legit fighters, but not during their prime. If he met Volkanovski five years ago, Volkanovski would just eat him. Now, Volkanovski, he’s old. He’s not there anymore.”
Makhachev vacated the belt earlier this year in anticipation of a move up to welterweight to try to win a second belt of his own.
