Tsarukyan On Nurmagomedov Beating UFC Lightweights

Arman Tsarukyan believes Usman Nurmagomedov would defeat almost every lightweight in the UFC roster, including current champion Justin Gaethje.

Nurmagomedov recently fought out his PFL contract with a title defense against Archie Colgan and now sits as the hottest free agent in mixed martial arts. The unbeaten Russian owns a 22-0 record but has yet to face the level of competition inside the UFC's 155-pound division, according to Tsarukyan.

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Tsarukyan Names Two Lightweights Who Could Test Nurmagomedov

Speaking with Ariel Helwani, as first reported by Sherdog, Tsarukyan said Nurmagomedov's wrestling and striking make him a threat to the division but stopped short of calling him unbeatable. "He can beat a lot of guys in our division because, stylistically, he's so good," Tsarukyan said. "He can wrestle; he can strike. But there are tough guys too, so let's see. Because in PFL there is no competition."

The top-ranked lightweight pointed to rising contender Quillan Salkilld, who submitted Mateusz Gamrot, and former champion Charles Oliveira as dangerous stylistic puzzles for the Dagestani. Tsarukyan suggested Oliveira's submission game could give Nurmagomedov problems despite the Russian being dangerous everywhere.

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As for himself, Tsarukyan made clear he considers himself the exception to Nurmagomedov's dominance. When asked if the PFL star beats nearly everyone in the division except him, Tsarukyan replied "almost, yes" but added he needs to win the belt before any matchup can be seriously discussed.

Tsarukyan faces Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 as he continues building his case for a title shot.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Arman Tsarukyan: Usman Nurmagomedov beats almost every UFC lightweight