Arman Tsarukyan
Ilia Topuria
Conversation History
“Paddy win your next fight. Hands up, chin down... and Arman Petuh, this dance is for you”
– via X, offering advice to Paddy Pimblett for his upcoming bout and using the derogatory Russian slang term ""Petuh"" to address Arman Tsarukyan.
“I think this is UFC game plan, not family issues. They want to make Paddy Pimblett a star, bring him to fight for the title with Topuria as a bigger name. They know I could beat everybody. Paddy is easy work, Justin is easy work, Ilia easy work.”
– via ESPN, claiming that Ilia Topuria's break is part of a UFC plan to elevate Paddy Pimblett, and stating his confidence in beating all three lightweights( Paddy,Ilia and Justin).
“I'll make him tired, I'll throw my axe kick and knock him out”
– via Daniel Cormier's YouTube Channel, predicting a knockout victory over Ilia Topuria.
“No way he owns the jet. [That jet is] approximately $20 million. No way he's making 20 million.”
– via The Ariel Helwani Show, casting doubt on Ilia Topuria's claim of owning a private jet, citing the high cost.
“Could it be any more obvious that El Pato is doing everything in his power to avoid fighting me?”
– via X, insisting Ilia Topuria (El Pato) is actively trying to dodge a fight
“Ilia's fall off is wild. From El Matador to El Pato... and now all the way to El Patetico and El Panocha”
– via X, mocking Ilia Topuria
“Bro, you touched my neck like we were taking a family photo and now you're calling it a slap online? The clip is clear your insecurity's even clearer. I don't need to act tough for Twitter, my work is inside the cage. If you want to know what a real slap feels like. I'll be happy to educate. See you soon, El Pato!”
– via X, shutting down Ilia Topuria's claim that he slapped him backstage and inviting a future confrontation.
“Respect to Dan Hooker for taking the fight. He has bigger b*lls than champ of the division.Me VS Ilia is the best fight to make across any division. No more running el pato”
– trashtalked against Ilia Topuria and praised Dan Hooker after a win against him
“Arman, every time we see each other in person you freeze up like a scared duck with no idea what to do. You know I handle you however I want. I fight whoever the UFC chooses. And remember I slapped you and you just laughed, then you go around acting like a gangster. So keep going, you're on the right path... just a few levels below me, kid”
– responding to Arman Tsarukyan's callouts and alleging Tsarukyan shows him fear in person.
“I don't want to wait. If I perform very well and the UFC says 'Can you fight in January?', I'll take that fight right away”
– via MMA Fighting, expressing his willingness to fight Ilia Topuria for the belt in January 2026 if he defeats Dan Hooker.
“I think the Ilia fight is going to be much harder [for Makhachev] than against Maddalena because of his body anthropometry, and also I think Ilia packs a much harder punch than Maddalena. Maddalena has fewer knockouts than Ilia. Ilia almost dropped every opponent he fought”
– via Red Corner MMA, arguing that Ilia Topuria would be a tougher opponent for Islam Makhachev than Jack Della Maddalena.
“He fought Volkanovski, who'd already been knocked out, been through so much. Holloway, he's basically just fighting for the money. I think if he gets past me and Islam, then he'll truly be one of the best fighters of all time”
– questions Ilia's greatness via Championat
“He picks up some random sparring partners, drops them, and everyone thinks he's some supernatural fighter. If you bring him to Chechnya or Dagestan, to any gym, even an amateur there would take him down and finish him.”
“I think it's more likely to be Pimblett than Gaethje.... He won't want to fight me because he can make more money fighting Islam and he has the chance to become the first”
– ever triple champion in history and earn big money.