Arman Tsarukyan is desperate for some action. After his injury pegged back his title opportunity, the Armenian is waiting for his turn to step inside the octagon. Ahead of UFC 317, Dana White announced Tsarukyan as the backup for the main event. And as the D-day comes near, Tsarukyan has shared a surprising wish he has for the same.
Tsarukyan recently interacted with Sports TV and said he wants some octagon action tonight. And thus, he wants either Ilia Topuria or Charles Oliveira to twist their ankles! Tsarukyan also seemed confident about taking on both Topuria and Oliveira. He stated that while he has already beaten Oliveira, he now wants to shut Topuria for good.
“I’ve already beaten Charles. I’d like to beat Topuria to close all the questions… both of them are afraid of me. Charles won’t even mention my name,” said Tsarukyan.
Arman Tsarukyan is hoping that Charles Oliveira or Ilia Topuria twists their ankle so he can step in and fight for the title tonight 😅
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 28, 2025
"I've already beaten Charles. I'd like to beat Topuria to close all the questions… both of them are afraid of me. Charles won't even mention… pic.twitter.com/M9e6TWOJcM
Surely, Tsarukyan was having quite a decent run recently. At UFC 300, he put on an impressive display to get over Charles Oliveira. Next up, he was supposed to face Islam Makhachev for the title. And that is when things went haywire. Suffering an injury, the Armenian pulled out just days before the fight. Now, Dana White stated that he needs to work his way back up once again. Meanwhile, despite Tsarukyan’s eagerness for a title fight, Ilia Topuria does not align with his choices.
Ilia Topuria Reluctant To Give Arman Tsarukyan A Title Shot
Ilia Topuria is yet to capture the lightweight glory. However, he is already making plans about what comes next. Unfortunately, facing Arman Tsarukyan is not part of his plan. In a recent statement, Topuria declined the idea of giving Tsarukyan an immediate title shot. Despite being the official backup fighter for UFC 317, Topuria said to the New York Post:
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“I wouldn’t give him the chance immediately. He needs to win one more fight. He had the opportunity to fight for the title and he pulled out, so he needs to earn his shot against someone like Justin Gaethje or Paddy Pimblett. They need to fight each other.”
Thus, with desperate times coming for Arman Tsarukyan, it now remains to be seen what happens next.
Also Read: Arman Tsarukyan Announced As The Official Backup For UFC 317
