For some time, it was understandable that Dana White had some issues with Arman Tsarukyan for pulling out of UFC 311 on very short notice. However, the introduction of Paddy Pimblett into the title scene had many in the fight community rage against the fact that the No.1 lightweight title contender was being overlooked. But as a ray of hope for the Armenian star, UFC legend Chael Sonnen entered the conversation and provided a positive update on Tsarukyan.

The UFC legend recently caught the UFC fans’ attention after he claimed that Arman Tsarukyan will be making his return in a title fight. And the date is December, since there is a strong possibility that Islam Makhachev fights Jack Della Maddalena in November, according to his mentor. Moreover, Chael Sonnen insinuated that Ilia Topuria knows about this fight, and he’s just playing coy when it comes to Tsarukyan.

So, is it really the truth that Paddy Pimblett is not in the conversation right now, and it’s Ilia Topuria vs Arman Tsarukyan first? When the media caught hold of ‘Ahalkalakets’ for an interview, he gave them a cheeky smile while claiming that Chael Sonnen may have more of an idea about his next fight than himself. But it’s important to note that Tsarukyan did not even deny that he’s not fighting Topuria either, but claims to be doing his part to make his fight against Topuria a reality since there’s been no update from Dana White yet.

“I hope so [that the next fight is in December]. And I want to fight for the title. I’ve been waiting for so long, and Chael Sonnen maybe knows something,” Arman Tsarukyan told MMA Junkie, while addressing other media outlets as well. “They [the UFC] didn’t tell anything yet to me. So, I’m just still waiting, training, and trying to call out Ilia as much as possible.”

Thereafter, Arman Tsarukyan also addressed Ilia Topuria’s viral claim about fighting the Armenian star with his title on the line. ‘El Matador’ said that he prefers to vacate the title rather than share the Octagon with Tsarukyan, and guess what? The No.1 lightweight contender did not hesitate to talk some smack back at Topuria.

Arman Tsarukyan claims Ilia Topuria knows he cannot beat him

Arman Tsarukyan already made fun of Ilia Topuria with his chicken skit on social media, but this time, he used his words. The 28-year-old claims that his Georgian-Spanish counterpart is very much aware that he’s a bad matchup for him, which is something that even Chael Sonnen seems to agree with. To avoid his momentum from getting derailed, Topuria is looking towards other opponents with whom he’s got more of a chance against, according to Tsarukyan.

“He [Topuria] feels that he’s going to lose that fight. It’s better to give the belt, and then, go up or like wait when what happened with me. Because he knows I’m a big problem for him and I’m gonna get his title,” Arman Tsarukyan further stated. “He knows that, and he wants to get easy fight with Paddy or Gaethje or someone, just make money and to defend. But with me, it’s going to be hard for him.”

For now, we only have the headliners up to UFC 321, which takes place in October. So, we will have to wait for further updates from Dana White and Co. and see if the speculation about Arman Tsarukyan fighting in December turns out to be true. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.