Arman Tsarukyan doesn’t hold back when it comes to beefing with anyone, and that fact rang true once again when he responded to Israel Adesanya’s criticism of him. Recently, the former two-time middleweight champion offered some pointed advice to the lightweight contender during an appearance on MMA legend Demetrious Johnson’s MightyCast podcast, suggesting that Tsarukyan can’t afford to waste time streaming with influencers if he wants to become the next lightweight champion. Hearing the former champ talk about him, the No.2 ranked contender with lofty title dreams decided to respond in kind.

When, during a stream, Nina Drama read out Adesanya’s critique of him, the Armenian contender fired back by bringing up the former middleweight champion’s drinking issue.

“But I jump into the stream and then he jumps into the stream; he can do whatever he wants?” Tsarukyan said. “When I have a fight, I like to be locked in, but when I don’t have a fight, I don’t like it. I don’t have fights coming up, so I can chill and enjoy my life. It’s better than drinking, Adesanya. It’s better to stream than drink.”

Tsarukyan’s response could add another layer of tension to his exchange with Israel Adesanya. For those who don’t know, the Nigerian-Kiwi previously pleaded guilty in a drunk-driving case. According to an ESPN article from 2023, Adesanya’s team told the outlet that he was driving in New Zealand with 87 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, exceeding the country’s legal limit of 50 milligrams.

Following the incident, Adesanya released a statement through ESPN, apologizing to his team, community, and family for breaking the rules. As reported by the New Zealand Herald, the offense carried a potential penalty of up to three months in prison or a $2,680 fine ($4,500 NZD). Since the former champion did not serve jail time, it could be assumed that he paid the required fine and evaded criminal conviction. So, Tsarukyan’s jab is likely a dig at that controversial incident.

While Tsarukyan and Adesanya have never really had a feud, this is not the first time ‘The Last Stylebender’ has found himself trading words with a fighter from a lower weight class.

Most notably, UFC flyweight Manel Kape had a heated back-and-forth with Adesanya during the UFC 293 press conference after the former middleweight champion stood up in defense of his teammate Kai Kara-France. Later, Kape reignited the tension following his win at UFC Tampa by grabbing the microphone and declaring, “f–k Adesanya.”

For now, the exchange between Tsarukyan and Adesanya hasn’t crossed into full-blown rivalry. But with both men known for speaking their minds, the situation could escalate quickly. And as it turns out, the Nigerian-Kiwi has already shared another opinion on the current lightweight title picture that the Armenian likely won’t appreciate one bit.

Israel Adesanya snubs Arman Tsarukyan from the UFC lightweight title picture

On The Ariel Helwani Show, Arman Tsarukyan made it clear that he believes he should be the one to face the new lightweight champion, Justin Gaethje next, after ‘The Highlight’ defeated Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250. If he does not get a title shot next, then the Armenian said he would have to question whether he chose “the wrong” sport. With that admission, it was implied that Tsarukyan could even consider leaving the UFC if the promotion doesn’t grant him the next title shot.

Many already believe Tsarukyan rightfully deserves the next crack at the 155-pound belt. However, Israel Adesanya sees another possibility. The former two-time middleweight champion suggested that the UFC could instead look toward the winner of Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway at UFC 329 as a potential No. 1 contender. In doing so, Adesanya effectively poured cold water on Tsarukyan’s bid to fight for gold next.

“I think Gaethje sitting frontside at the Max vs. Conor in Vegas, he’s already got the story there with Max, wants revenge, but also Conor and Gaethje would feed families, it would feed f–king countries, that would be crazy,” Adesanya said on the MightyCast. “It would. It would feed everybody, World Vision.

“Technically, [Tsarukyan] should be the next guy to fight Justin. That would be a crazy fight, but the UFC likes the narratives they can create, and the one with Conor or Max, revenge match with Max, that would be insane. They probably do it [at] the end of the year.”

If Conor McGregor puts on a similar dominating performance on Holloway as he did with Eddie Alvarez and then decides to move back down to lightweight, the UFC could potentially entertain that matchup. But at this point, it remains unclear whether McGregor can even make the lightweight limit of 155 lbs again. So, Tsarukyan would still seem to be in the running for UFC’s list for the next 155-lbs title contenders.

With Israel Adesanya publicly backing scenarios that would leave Tsarukyan out of the title picture, he has already said the exact words the Armenian contender won’t want to hear. So, potential bad blood may already be brewing, and it could escalate quickly if the two continue trading shots.