Ilia Topuria may be riding high after knocking out three legends in a row, but not everyone’s buying the hype. One man in particular keeps poking holes in the newly crowned lightweight champion’s image, and he’s not holding back.

Arman Tsarukyan, still waiting in the wings for his shot at UFC lightweight gold, seems determined to drag ‘El Matador’ back down to Earth. While the MMA sphere was still dissecting Topuria’s dismissive comments from a press conference, where he mocked Tsarukyan for pulling out of UFC 311 and claimed he would’ve fought “without an arm”, the Armenian standout has now hit back with receipts!

In a sharp-edged post on X, Tsarukyan wrote, “Another fun fact: Topuria regularly misses weight. So spare us the fairytales about fighting with one arm. You pulled out from fighting Charles Jourdain, hermanito…”

The jab wasn’t just words. Tsarukyan attached proof. One screenshot showed the cancellation of the Topuria vs. Charles Jourdain featherweight bout, called off after Topuria failed to hit 145 pounds despite having a full camp. Meanwhile, Jourdain had made weight on just nine days’ notice after Movsar Evloev, Topuria’s original opponent had withdrawn due to undisclosed reasons.

Then came the real throwback. Tsarukyan pulled up an image from Cage Warriors 94 in 2018, where Topuria submitted Brian Bouland in the first round. Sounds impressive, right? Except there was a problem, ‘El Matador’ came in 4.4 pounds overweight and was ruled ineligible to win the bantamweight title. He missed out on championship gold despite the win.

And finally, the most recent controversy: UFC 317.

Arman Tsarukyan highlighted another claim circulating online, that Topuria initially weighed in at 155.5 pounds for his title fight against Charles Oliveira, only for the commission to later correct the number and confirm it as 155 on the dot. The moment left many fans suspicious. The lightweight contender’s post included an image that read: “Topuria missed weight and the commission is covering it up!”

As such, the Armenian fighter isn’t just defending himself, he’s turning the tables. He’s seemingly questioning Topuria’s mental toughness and his legacy. The ability to make weight is seen as a fighter’s responsibility. Fail once, you’re forgiven. But miss weight repeatedly? That’s a shadow that will hang over your career forever.

While “El Matador” prepares for what looks like a clash with Paddy Pimblett instead of Tsraukyan next, there’s one name that’s also in the conversation. According to a former UFC lightweight champion, he has the best chance to end the spectacular run the Spanish-Georgian fighter has been on!

Former champ backs Justin Gaethje as contender amid Arman Tsarukyan and Ilia Topuria feud

Justin Gaethje has made his stance clear. After edging out Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313, Gaethje declared he deserved the next shot at gold. At 36, with three wins in his last four fights, ‘The Highlight’ believes the UFC owes him a title shot. And if they don’t give it? He threatened to walk away from the sport entirely.

Gaethje was cageside at UFC 317, ready to face the winner of Topuria vs. Oliveira. But instead of a call-out, he got silence. Enter Eddie Alvarez. The former lightweight champ knows firsthand just how dangerous Gaethje is, after all, he handed him his first professional loss in a classic back at UFC 218. But now, Alvarez says he wants to see Gaethje get his shot at Topuria.

Speaking on The Bohnfire, Alvarez confessed, “Selfishly, I want Justin, He’s a fan favorite of mine. Unbiased, just watching MMA, I wanna see a Justin Gaethje fight before any other fight, just because of the way he fights.”

But does he see a path to victory for Gaethje against a man who’s been knocking over legends like bowling pins? According to Alvarez, “I would like to see how, because I don’t care who you are, I love when Justin starts landing that leg kick and watch really strong violent men start to limp around or start to switch to southpaw… He can do it against anyone.”

In the end, while Ilia Topuria continues to rack up knockouts and headline cards, the ghosts of past weigh-in mishaps and quiet withdrawals are being dragged into the light. Arman Tsarukyan’s campaign isn’t just about earning his own shot. It’s about chipping away at the myth of a champion some believe is being protected.

But even as the Armenian lands verbal jabs, Justin Gaethje stands ready to make his case inside the cage. With Eddie Alvarez backing him and fans still hungry for another classic war, ‘The Highlight’ remains a real threat to ‘El Matador’s reign. So now the question is simple, will Ilia Topuria silence his critics by taking on the toughest challengers? Or will the jabs at his legacy grow too loud to ignore? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!