Ilia Topuria may be on a high after defeating Charles Oliveira and winning the vacant lightweight title, but Arman Tsarukyan isn’t buying the hype. The Armenian, who is still awaiting his opportunity at UFC gold, is not going away quietly. While Dana White is still hesitant to put ‘Akhalkalakets’ in a title picture, Tsarukyan is making one thing clear: when his number is called, he already knows how to defeat the lightweight king.

Arman Tsarukyan spoke on Daniel Cormier‘s YouTube channel about a strategy that he thinks will demolish the Spanish-Georgian’s entire system. “It’s not just wrestling,” he said. “I’m a well-rounded fighter, and I’m not going to just try to wrestle him. I’m going to strike him. I’m going to kick him. I’m going to upkick him… show him wrestling, punch him, punch him wrestling… clinch work.”

This will not be a jiu-jitsu bout or a striking competition. ‘Akhalkalakets’ describes it as a “real MMA fight.” Then came the criticism—the kind you don’t just dismiss unless you actually believe it. The Armenian revisited Ilia Topuria’s featherweight days, criticizing the level of competition he faced.

“He had Bryce Mitchell… he’s the worst fighter at 145,” Tsarukyan confessed. “He took him down and held him from a crazy position… even took him down from a single leg. He couldn’t escape.” The #1-ranked lightweight claims that Topuria’s inability to scramble reveals everything about his real ground game.

“If you’re good on the ground, you never pull guard,” he stated. “You try to sweep or get up from there. I can tell he’s not high level.” And, while Topuria’s highlight reels appear slick and menacing, ‘Akhalkalakets’ is not impressed. “On video, he hits pads very well and defends wrestling beautifully. But I mean, it’s not WWE. I can’t wait to show everybody.”

It’s bold, personal, and comes from a man who believes he should have been in the Octagon at UFC 317. While the UFC head honcho may be hesitant, Arman Tsarukyan remains vocal. And if ‘El Matador’ wants to silence him, he’ll have to do so inside the cage. Until then, Tsarukyan’s plan to expose the Spanish-Georgian’ is already public. In fact, he even claimed that Charles Oliveira is a bigger threat to him than Ilia Topuria.

Arman Tsarukyan finds Charles Oliveira tougher to beat than Ilia Topuria

If Ilia Topuria is the current lightweight division king, Arman Tsarukyan doesn’t seem to be worried about the crown. Following his victory over Charles Oliveira last year, ‘Akhalkalakets’ thinks he has already faced a tougher opponent than ‘El Matador.’ In his opinion, the man Topuria recently knocked out is more dangerous than the undefeated champion himself.

In the same interview, Arman Tsarukyan stated that Oliveira’s ground game and submission threat were far more frightening than anything Topuria had to offer. “For me, it’s easier to fight Topuria than Oliveira,” he declared confidently. “You can take [Topuria] down a thousand times, because he’s not going to try to choke you or something.”

That comparison does more than hint at preference; it establishes a line between danger and difficulty, and Tsarukyan believes the Spanish-Georgian falls short. But he didn’t stop there. Tsarukyan cited exhaustion and less-than-impressive grappling displays as examples of Topuria’s previous performances.

“I watched his first fight… he got so tired, and he’s never fought a wrestler like me,” he said. Whether it’s strategy, psychology, or sheer confidence, Arman Tsarukyan continues to stake his claim not only as a deserved title contender but also as a man who knows how to test the so-called pound-for-pound best. Now, it is up to Topuria to accept him as his next challenge, especially after he snubbed two deserving candidates in one night.