Tsarukyan On Topuria Grudge Fight After Title Win

Arman Tsarukyan wants Ilia Topuria fully recovered before the two settle their grudge match.

Tsarukyan destroyed Mauricio Ruffy with a first-round elbow knockout at UFC 331 last weekend, pushing his winning streak to six fights with four finishes. The performance had Joe Rogan declaring the Armenian could no longer be denied a lightweight title shot against champion Justin Gaethje, as BJPenn.com first reported.

Tsarukyan Willing To Wait For Topuria Fight

Speaking to Sport24 after the win, Tsarukyan addressed speculation about a potential clash with Topuria, who suffered a broken orbital in his June title loss to Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250. "Let Ilia see an ophthalmologist and take some time to fully recover, maybe another four or five months," Tsarukyan said, per Home of Fight. "Once I become champion, we'll talk. I'd be happy to fight him."

The timeline for any Tsarukyan title fight extends into 2027 at the earliest. Gaethje told reporters his hands have not fully healed from injuries sustained in the Topuria victory and he does not plan to compete again before the end of 2026. Topuria accused Gaethje of loading his gloves in their bout, though UFC CEO Dana White dismissed that claim.

Tsarukyan and Topuria have history dating back years, with tensions flaring between the two on multiple occasions. Now the lightweight contender is making it clear he wants the featherweight champion at full strength when they finally meet.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Arman Tsarukyan wants Ilia Topuria fully healed before potential grudge match: “Once I become champion, we’ll talk”