Ilia Topuria has reversed course on his previous reluctance to fight Arman Tsarukyan, confirming he would have no issue accepting the matchup if Justin Gaethje were to withdraw from their UFC White House title fight on June 14.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Topuria made his position on opponent flexibility clear. “If they call me tomorrow and they tell me Justin is injured and I have to fight Arman, I will fight Arman, no problem. If they call me and they tell me that Arman is injured and I have to fight Ariel, I’m gonna fight Ariel, no problem. I go whoever, whenever, I’m ready.”
Tsarukyan had been vocal about wanting to serve as backup fighter for the White House card and has advised Gaethje to pull out so he could take the spot.
Despite the softer tone on accepting the fight, Topuria made equally clear that his opinion of Tsarukyan as a fighter has not changed.
“He’s a kid. His mentality, he’s dumb as f—. Everything that I saw about him on the internet, it’s embarrassing. F— Arman, who cares about him. He’s not on my level. If we cross paths, I’m gonna break his jaw in the first round.”
Topuria defends the lightweight championship against Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 at the White House in Washington D.C.
