Daniel Cormier says Arman Tsarukyan has become undeniable.
At UFC White House, Justin Gaethje shocked the MMA world when he upset Ilia Topuria to claim the UFC lightweight title. Before the event, many fans expected Topuria to beat Gaethje and then move up to welterweight to pursue an unprecedented third UFC title, leaving a vacant title to be fought for by the top contenders. Gaethje’s win threw any such plans into chaos, leaving a few notable names vying for the first crack at the new champion, but Cormier says that Arman Tsarukyan is the only man who fits the bill.
“Justin went on Joe Rogan this weekend and said Ilia doesn’t get a rematch because he said he felt like he broke him twice, in the fight and in between rounds,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “He said Ilia wanted to quit. Ilia Topuria, if they were to give him a rematch, no one would really complain. But if it isn’t going to be Ilia Topuria, it has to be Arman Tsarukyan.
“I was talking to Dana White when I was at The Ultimate Fighter, and we were speaking about Arman, and we were speaking about how Arman has essentially made himself undeniable. One, because obviously he’s won so many fights in a row, but his side quests, as you guys like to call it. Wrestling in RAF, boxing when he can, grappling when he can. He’s been so active that the UFC can’t ignore that, and the UFC honestly took note of it, and they’re kind of excited now about Arman Tsarukyan and his potential for the new fans that he has drawn in.”
Tsarukyan’s star power has grown significantly over the past 18 months as the lightweight contender is seemingly everywhere now. Aside from becoming the face of RAF, Tsarukyan is also frequently on some of the biggest streams in the world, and Cormier even noted that an interview he did with Tsarukyan is his most-watched YouTube video.
On top of that, Tsarukyan is currently on a five-fight winning streak and has a win over the other man who has been making his case, former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.
“It has to be Arman,” Cormier continued. “I get what Do Bronx is saying. He’s the BMF champ. He feels like he beat Max Holloway, he beat [Mateusz Gamrot], and he did it in amazing fashion. But I just don’t know if those victories would warrant you jumping Arman Tsarukyan. …
“I think people are ready to watch Arman fight for the belt, and rightfully so. So, love Charles, love that he’s making a statement, but the reality is, it has to be Arman Tsarukyan.”
Earlier this week, Oliveira made his pitch for a fight with Gaethje, unifying their lightweight and BMF titles, and affording Gaethje an opportunity for revenge, as Oliveira beat him at UFC 274. But given the momentum currently behind Tsarukyan, Cormier thinks this is a foolish endeavor from “Do Bronx.”
“I’m not here to shit on Charles Do Bronx,” Cormier said. “What I’m trying to say is, Charles is trying to shake and rattle the right cages. He’s searching for things that will put him back in the conversation. Not just for the biggest thing — the title or McGregor — anything. Because right now, he’s the forgotten man. And Justin Gaethje winning that fight literally put him further away from anything that he really wanted. And the thing that bothers you most is that a guy that you beat, a guy that you finished, is now the world champion, and as hot as anyone and anything in MMA.
”So I get Charles rattling the cage. You’ve got to rattle the cage. But I don’t know that he’s barking up the right tree. He’s got to keep searching for the right that makes people go, ‘OK, that’s not stupid. That’s not nonsensical.’ Because right now, when you say, ‘I’m next for a title,’ when Arman Tsarukyan is right there, that seems nonsensical, considering everything Arman Tsarukyan has done.
I don’t know what he has to do, but he has to do something. He’s got to find a way to make people start to mention him in that conversation, because I don’t know that Charles has ever been further away from the conversation, other than the very beginning of his career.”
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