標籤: resisted

Ilya Topuria has changed his position on a possible fight with Arman Zarukyan. The lightweight champion had previously stated that he would vacate his belt rather than face the Armenian contender, citing a lack of confidence that Tsarukyan would actually be able to make it to the octagon.

According to Topuria, that stance has now changed ariel helwani show That he is ready to fight whoever is put in front of him on June 14 at UFC White House.

Topuria said, “If they call me tomorrow and tell me Justin is injured and I have to fight Arman, I’ll fight Arman, no problem.” “If they call me and tell me that Armaan is injured and I have to fight Ariel, then I will fight Ariel, no problem. I can go anywhere, anytime, I am ready.”

Ilya Topuria Record: 17-0 (7 knockouts, 8 submissions)

The context behind this change is Tsarukyan’s ongoing campaign to replace Justin Gaethje as Topuria’s opponent on the card. Tsarukyan has publicly advised Gaethje to step back so he can intervene, and has stated his intention to be ready for the June 14 date. A replacement fight seems unlikely in that scenario even if Gaethje pulls out due to Topuria’s past resistance, but his latest comments have removed that hurdle.

The willingness to take the fight doesn’t mean Topuria has developed any new respect for Tsarukyan. During an appearance on the same Helwani show, he made his opinion about the contender very clear.

“He’s a kid. His mentality, he’s stupid,” he said. “Everything I’ve seen about him on the internet is embarrassing. F— Arman, who cares about him? He’s not at my level. If we meet on the road, I’ll break his jaw in the first round.”

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