The tension is real.
No. 2-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan has responded to champion Ilia Topuria after the Georgian-Spanish superstar ripped him earlier this week — calling him “dumb” and vowing to break his jaw if they ever fight.
Tsarukyan isn’t buying it.
“You know why [he’s talking about me]? He’s jealous,” Tsarukyan told Ariel Helwani today. “He wants to say I’m nothing and that if the UFC offers the fight, he won’t take it. He wants to tell everyone
in this world that I’m not on his level — He said [Charles] Oliveira is a good fighter, [Justin] Gaethje and [Max] Holloway are good fighters but he didn’t say anything about me, it’s just a joke.”
Then came the pushback.
“In my culture, if you say something about someone, you explain why,” Tsarukyan continued. “He couldn’t explain why I’m ‘dumb.’ We’ll see when the fight happens. We’ll see how I won’t take him down — I can take down anybody.”
And if Topuria is so confident?
“Just accept the fight,” Tsarukyan said. “Why are you ducking if you’re super confident that you can beat me in the first round. Sign the contract after this fight and don’t move up.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper war of words without a few extra jabs.
“I’m the man, but he’s not — he shaves his ass. He shaves his arms and legs. At least I’m a man. I don’t do that,” Tsarukyan said. “He has no hair on his legs. You think he’s going to have a hair on his ass? He should go to Georgia instead of Miami; he’s had bad experiences in Miami. Go to Georgia and walk around with men.”
Alrighty then.
Tsarukyan hasn’t competed in the Octagon since demolishing Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar (watch highlights), but has remained active with grappling and wrestling appearances — something Topuria has also mocked.
As for the champion, Topuria is set to headline the highly anticipated UFC White House card in two months.
After that?
If things go according to plan, this feud might finally turn into a fight.
For the latest UFC White House news and notes click here.
