The war of words is heating up between lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and top contender Arman Tsarukyan.In a recent interview, Topuria was critical of Tsarukyan's headline-making antics outside of the cage. The 29-year-old has struck a fan on his walk to the octagon, head butted an opponent during face-offs, engaged in a post-fight brawl at RAF 6, got thrown off an airplane and tackled MMA icon Urijah Faber off the stage during their RAF 8 match last weekend.Topuria called Tsarukyan 'dumb' and 'a f*cking kid' that flaunts his father's wealth. On Wednesday, Tsarukyan responded to Topuria's comments during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show.
"He's jealous," Tsarukyan said. "He wants to say like I'm nothing and if you see like offer me him, he's not going to take it because he wants to tell everybody in this world that I'm not in his level. He was saying like [Charles] Oliveira is good fighter, [Justin] Gaethje is good fighter, Max Holloway is good fighter, but he didn't say anything about me.
How can it be like, it's just a joke.""I mean, in my culture, where I come from, if you say about someone, you've got to explain why, right? You ask him why and he doesn't know like answer why am I dumb or I'm like ret*rded or whatever," Tsarukyan explained. "If you say something, you've got to answer why, right?
You ask him why, he says I don't know, so he's the stupid guy, not me because he doesn't know even like why I'm ret*ard or dumb and f*ck."Topuria headlines the UFC White House event on June 14 against two-time interim titleholder Justin Gaethje. He predicted that he'd break Tsarukyan's jaw in the first round if the two fought. Tsarukyan wants Topuria to prove it and sign to fight him following the UFC Freedom 250 unification bout with Gaethje.
"Good luck to him. We'll see when the fight happens, and we'll see how I'm not going to take him down. I can takedown anybody.
So, about that, he's going to break my jaw. Whatever he wants to do, just accept the fight. Why you ducking if you're super confident that you can beat me so easy in the first round?
Just sign the contract after this fight and don't move up and stay there and beat (me) because I'm an easy fight. Why move up," Tsarukyan said. "He has his own fanbase, but like he behaves like untouchable and like he's superstar.
But he's not, and I'm going to bring him back on the Earth."Topuria accused Tsarukyan of being a 'Twitter gangster,' but when the two see each other it's a different story. "I'm not a gangster. I'm the man," said Tsarukyan.
"But he's not. He shaves his ass. He shaves his arms, legs. At least I'm a man. I don't do that.""