Islam Makhachev urges Ilia Topuria to choose ‘most relevant fight’ for title defence

Paddy Pimblett is hoping his feud with Topuria leads to a fight at T-Mobile Arena on June 28, while Justin Gaethje has gone as far as threatening retirement to strengthen his case.

However, Tsarukyan is widely seen as the most deserving candidate, though his stock took a hit after he withdrew late from January’s UFC 311 main event against Makhachev.

Although Tsarukyan did make weight as the backup for UFC 317, it is unclear if that was enough to repair his standing with the promotion. Plus, Topuria has already dismissed Tsarukyan’s claim in public.

But Makhachev believes his former opponent is still the right choice.

“Arman made weight for the last (title fight at UFC 317), he was the backup. He should be next in the fight for the belt. This is the most relevant fight at the moment,” he said during a press conference.

Arman Tsarukyan looking past Ilia Topuria, focusing on a potential title eliminator instead

Tsarukyan doesn’t seem to be expecting a title fight soon. He is eyeing Gaethje or Pimblett for a title eliminator this year, as Topuria may return only in 2026.

“(Topuria) wants to come back in January or February. And I haven’t fought in a long time. So I think I’ll need to fight in October or November. And I talked to the boss yesterday. They said maybe they will set up a fight with someone.

“In Abu Dhabi or in Qatar…maybe Gaethje, maybe (Dan) Hooker, maybe Paddy,” he said on Adam Zubayraev’s YouTube channel, noting that the Scouser was his preferred choice.