News - Ilia Topuria supports Dana White's decision against Arman Tsarukyan

Arman Tsarukyan's ambitions for a 155 lbs title fight are encountering increasing challenges. UFC CEO Dana White has openly stated that Tsarukyan needs to demonstrate his value before considering a title shot, especially after a lackluster performance at UFC 311. Supporting White's stance, current lightweight champion Ilia Topuria has agreed with this judgment, adding criticism regarding Tsarukyan's previous conduct. At a UFC 323 post-fight conference, White insisted there is no personal vendetta against Tsarukyan; it is simply a strategic business decision. He emphasized that Tsarukyan, who stumbled in his prior chance, has to work his way back up the rankings. Echoing these views, Topuria criticized Tsarukyan's behavior, drawing attention to his misconduct at UFC Qatar where he was involved in a controversial headbutt incident during the face-off with Dan Hooker. Topuria's critique of Tsarukyan arises from multiple incidents, including him withdrawing from a fight against Islam Makhachev, perceived as a lack of commitment. From Topuria's perspective, the UFC has invested heavily in developing Tsarukyan's career with minimal return in terms of reliability. He expressed passionately in an interview with eldoberdanMMA, "The UFC has given him ample opportunity to rise, including substantial promotional support. If he continues engaging in actions reflecting poor judgment, like the headbutt incident, it becomes difficult to advocate for him anymore. Hence, plain and simple, the message from the UFC was: they've had enough." Even though Topuria's remarks were explicit, he is not alone in his opinion. Former two-division champion Henry Cejudo also supports the stance taken by UFC executives. Both Cejudo and Topuria assert that Tsarukyan's professionalism needs to align with the opportunities he is pursuing within the UFC.