Ilia Topuria hoped to draw praise for becoming one of the few UFC fighters to attend the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. But fans quickly shifted focus, calling out ‘El Matador’ for allegedly ducking Arman Tsarukyan.

For those who don’t know, the 2026 F1 Grand Prix is taking place in Miami at the Miami International Autodrome. From May 1 to 3, fans are witnessing high-speed action, with Scuderia Ferrari competing using an updated car, while Charles Leclerc pushes for a podium finish. On that occasion, the iconic car brand decided to collaborate with the UFC lightweight champion, drawing more attention to their F1 campaign this year.

“From the cage to the garage 👊 welcome to Ferrari, Ilia!” Scuderia Ferrari posted on Instagram, sharing a series of photos of Ilia Topuria inside the Ferrari garage.

For Topuria, the collaboration marks another major partnership. Recently, the globally recognized watch company Richard Mille signed him, which had fans talking, as many expect it to be a significant deal. That said, while it remains unclear whether Ferrari officially signed an agreement with the Georgian-Spaniard, the collaboration itself is undoubtedly notable. However, he is not the first UFC fighter to appear in the Ferrari garage.

Before the UFC lightweight champion, the current 185 lbs kingpin Khamzat Chimaev was spotted in the Ferrari garage during the 2025 F1 qualifying round. In that sense, ‘El Matador’ became the second UFC fighter to be associated with the famous car brand.

Still, fans turned the moment into criticism for Ilia Topuria, who’s set to face Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 event, accusing him of ducking the current No. 2 lightweight, Arman Tsarukyan. 

Fans blame Ilia Topuria for ducking Arman Tsarukyan after latest Ferrari Garage appearance   

One fan quickly chimed in, writing, “Ducking Arman.” Another echoed the sentiment, even using Ferrari’s logo to take a dig at Ilia Topuria, posting, “Prancing Horse meets Quacking duck @arm_011.”

For a while, fans have wanted to see ‘El Matador’ clash with Arman Tsarukyan, believing it’s the most competitive fight the UFC can make right now in the lightweight division. The Armenian has also proven himself as one of the best 155ers on the roster, notably beating Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar last year. Yet, Dana White has remained reluctant to book the clash, with even Jorge Masvidal blaming the UFC CEO’s stubbornness for the delay.

Moreover, Ilia Topuria previously stated that he would vacate the belt but wouldn’t face Tsarukyan, based on his view that ‘Ahalkalakets’ lacks star power. However, ‘El Matador’ recently clarified that he would take the fight without hesitation if the UFC presents it. Despite that, many fans still believe Topuria is ducking Arman.

The reactions continued, “Lots of respect ❤️ but Arman beats you up,” while another fan used the nickname Arman gave Topuria, writing, “El pato 🦆 Topuria.”

When it comes to competition, several experts, including Demetrious Johnson, believe Tsarukyan has the tools to beat Ilia Topuria. There is clear intrigue surrounding this matchup. Still, not all reactions were critical. Some fans also focused on his Ferrari collaboration.

One fan wrote, “Who the hell is Ilia’s manager? First Richard Mille, now Ferrari?” Another added, “After Richard Mille, Ferrari collab is crazy🔥.” However, not everyone was impressed, with one comment reading, “Get out of there Ilia, Ferrari always sh—s up.”

That said, Ilia Topuria certainly grabbed attention with his latest Ferrari collaboration. But whether he faces Arman Tsarukyan next after his scheduled fight against Justin Gaethje at UFC White House on June 14 remains to be seen.