Arman Tsarukyan says Ilia Topuria should fight Islam Makhachev soon: ‘If he loses to me at 155, he’s gonna be gone’

Arman Tsarukyan has weighed in on Ilia Topuria's potential strategic next move, acknowledging that a move up in weight and a title shot against Islam Makhachev might be the sharper play for the featherweight champion. In two weeks, Topuria faces Justin Gaethje at UFC White House with designs on victory potentially leading to a weightclass jump to 170 pounds and a challenge for Makhachev's welterweight title—a third championship across three divisions that would be historic. That path would sidestep Tsarukyan, the top lightweight contender angling for his own title shot. While Tsarukyan clearly wants the matchup, he's pragmatic about Topuria's calculus. Tsarukyan suggested that should Topuria lose to him at 155 pounds, the featherweight champion's career momentum could be derailed significantly. The implication is clear: Topuria's best bet for maintaining his trajectory involves either beating Gaethje and jumping weight classes, or risking diminishment by facing Tsarukyan at lightweight, where the size differential could prove problematic.