Demetrious Johnson believes Arman Tsarukyan has the tools to defeat lightweight champion Ilia Topuria. Johnson, widely considered one of MMA’s greatest fighters, recently trained with Tsarukyan and praised his athleticism, mindset and well-rounded skill set.
Topuria is expected to face interim champion Justin Gaethje at an upcoming UFC event. However, Johnson argues that Tsarukyan poses the biggest threat in the division. He said Tsarukyan should have fought for interim gold and deserves a shot at the winner of Topuria versus Gaethje.
Tsarukyan, 29, is seen as a natural lightweight with a potential size advantage over Topuria. Despite previous weight-cut struggles at 155lb, he has also expressed interest in dropping to featherweight to challenge Alexander Volkanovski in the future.
While waiting for another UFC opportunity, Tsarukyan has stayed active in grappling and wrestling competitions. He returns to action on February 28 against Georgio Poullas at RAF 6.
