Most argue that Arman Tsarukyan is the toughest fight for Ilia Topuria, but the champion disagrees.
UFC lightweight champion Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) is expecting his next fight to be a title-unification against Justin Gaethje, but Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) is waiting in the wings for his opportunity.
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Topuria, who boasts a flawless record in MMA, pointed out Tsarukyan’s setbacks and what he sees as a chink in his armor.
“He lost to Islam (Makhachev), he lost to (Mateusz) Gamrot, he got knocked out at he beginning of his career, and he doesn’t really have the ability to finish the fights,” Topuria told Adin Ross of Tsarukyan during a live stream on Kick. “He only finishes the fights when his opponent gets tired, and he just goes on the ground and he does ground-and-pound. If he faces someone who really has that preparation and has that cardio, doesn’t get scared when he goes to the ground, he’s going to suffer.”
Topuria said he would finish both Tsarukyan and UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, but went onto explain why he sees himself having no issues with Tsarukyan.
“Arman, easy because he will panic,” Topuria said. “With me, he will panic. What is he going to do? When I’m in the training camp, I know how it feels when you feel pain, I know how it feels when you feel tired, when it feels like you can’t do more and you keep doing it.
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“I know about myself where there isn’t a situation where I’m going to give up. So, when I walk inside the octagon, my opponents should know that they’re going to have the baddest motherf*cker in front of them that doesn’t know how to give up. That’s never going to happen so, you’re going to have to kill me.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Ilia Topuria: Arman Tsarukyan ‘will panic’ in a fight against me
