Islam Makhachev Calls Out Ilia Topuria for Dodging Arman Tsarukyan for Maiden 155lbs Title Defense

The MMA world came to a standstill when whispers suggested Islam Makhachev could defend his lightweight crown for the fifth time against Ilia Topuria, who shocked the fight game by vacating his 145-pound belt to pursue double-champion status. But that blockbuster matchup never materialized. Instead, Makhachev chose to chase his own two-division dream, moving up to welterweight where he is now officially set to challenge Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 in November. Meanwhile, Topuria backed up his bold claims inside the cage. At UFC 317, he brutally sent Charles Oliveira to the shadow realm to capture the lightweight title left vacant by Makhachev, cementing his status as one of the sport’s hottest stars.

Caught in the middle of this shake-up was former No.1 contender Arman Tsarukyan. Originally scheduled to face Makhachev at UFC 311, Tsarukyan’s title shot slipped away after a back injury during his weight cut forced him out. Even after stepping in as the backup fighter during International Fight Week, his patience was tested when Topuria squared off with Paddy Pimblett for a potential title eliminator instead of him. Now, Makhachev has reignited the conversation by publicly labeling Tsarukyan as the true No.1 contender, while simultaneously taking aim at Topuria in the process.

Islam Makhachev Brands Arman Tsarukyan as the Biggest Challenge for Ilia Topuria

In recent months, Topuria has been strongly linked to a title defense against Tsarukyan, widely regarded as the rightful No.1 contender at 155lbs. Yet, the newly crowned champion has downplayed the idea of facing the Armenian. 

In fact, Topuria has even hinted he would rather retire than accept a fight with Tsarukyan, citing the contender’s history of struggling to make weight and questioning his ability to perform under pressure on the sport’s biggest stage. 

This has led to criticism from Makhachev, who has accused Topuria of deliberately avoiding Tsarukyan. “It’s no secret that Ilia’s (Topuria) been ducking Arman (Tsarukyan),” Makhachev told Tower_GSK.

He added, “I’ve already seen some comments on the internet where he says, ‘I’d rather retire than fight Arman.’ Arman has been on a good streak, and he must be the toughest test for the champion.”

ALSO READ: Islam Makhachev Fires a Chilling Warning at Jack Della Maddalena Ahead of Their UFC 322 Title Clash

Islam Makhachev says Ilia Topuria is ducking Arman Tsarukyan 👀🔥

“It’s no secret that Ilia’s been ducking Arman. I’ve already seen some comments on the internet where he says, ‘I’d rather retire than fight Arman.’ Arman has been on a good streak and he must be the toughest test… pic.twitter.com/0CV71WDVTB

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) September 7, 2025

Instead, the Spaniard has taken an interest in fighting the aforementioned Pimblett owing to the history between them dating back to a hotel incident in Manchester in 2022. Moreover, he even placed the former interim kingpin Justin Gaethje on his radar for his first title defense at 155lbs. Not only Makhachev but Tsarukyan himself accused Topuria of ducking him last month in an interview with MMA Junkie. 

Tsarukyan said, “He feels that he’s going to lose that fight, and it’s better to give the belt and then like go up or wait to see what happens with me because he knows I’m a big problem for him.”

He added, “I’m going to get his title, he knows that, and he wants an easy fight with Paddy (Pimblett) or (Justin) Gaethje or someone, just make money and defend, but with me, it’s going to be hard for him.”

Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Arman Tsarukyan during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

As of late, the Armenian has been rumored to be linked to fight Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar in November, which could be his first UFC outing since beating Oliveira at UFC 300. Moreover, Makhachev’s comments have come at a time when his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov gave Tsarukyan a 80-20 chance against Topuria. 

The UFC Hall of Fame weighed in on the Armenian’s ground game and added that Topuria’s resume only has scalps of pure strikers. It will be interesting to see if Tsarukyan finally gets his shot at gold or if he has to wait longer.