Jon Jones believes Arman Tsarukyan beats Ilia Topuria

Jon Jones weighed in on a potential lightweight showdown between Arman Tsarukyan and Ilia Topuria while attending an International Boxing Association card in Moscow, Russia alongside Petr Yan and Alexander Volkov. Without hesitation, the former champion backed Tsarukyan, telling him: "You already know, Arman all day." Tsarukyan joked in response that he would have wrestled Jones had the UFC legend picked Topuria instead.

The hypothetical matchup carries significant context within the lightweight title picture. Tsarukyan (23-3) had been the logical challenger when Topuria (17-1) moved up to lightweight, but fell out of favor after withdrawing from a scheduled title fight against Islam Makhachev. Topuria instead seized the opportunity, defeating Charles Oliveira to claim the vacant lightweight crown. When Tsarukyan subsequently campaigned for a shot at the Georgian-Spanish champion, Topuria expressed interest in fighting Paddy Pimblett—a pursuit derailed when Pimblett lost an interim title fight to Justin Gaethje. Meanwhile, Tsarukyan remained sidelined from title contention.

Recent developments have reshaped the dynamic. Topuria, fighting as a massive favorite, faced Gaethje in defense of his interim title at UFC White House earlier this month. In a shocking upset, Gaethje delivered a brutal beating that forced Topuria's corner to throw in the towel at the end of the fourth round—Topuria's first professional loss. Tsarukyan believes this defeat will fundamentally alter Topuria as a fighter, diminishing the appeal of what was once the fight to make at 155 pounds. Jones's endorsement suggests the consensus among elite fighters leans toward Tsarukyan's wrestling and overall skillset, even with Topuria's heavyweight resume.