“Paddy Pimblett is awesome, Justin Gaethje is awesome, Arman and Ilia seem to have something in terms of not only skills, but between the two that we could build a great fight around”

– via Red Corner MMA acknowledging the star power of the interim title fight while insisting that Ilia Topuria vs. Arman Tsarukyan is the most significant competitive matchup in the division

“Listen man, this guy just might be the best lightweight in the world, since Islam is gone. He is really good man. He is big, he is strong, he is physical. The champion Ilia Topuria is tremendous... I think they need a fight at some point. Paddy Pimblett is awesome, Justin Gaethje is awesome, [but] Arman and Ilia seem to have something, and not only something in terms of skill, but between the two, we can build a great fight around.”

– via Red Corner MMA, making the case for a fight between Arman Tsarukyan and Ilia Topuria.

“There was a leniency for how much time you could spend away and still hold on to the championship... I don't believe that's the case today... It feels like Ilia Topuria is telling us, without saying it directly that it's gonna be a bit longer... So honestly, there might come a time where a decision has to be made”

– via ESPN MMA expressing concern over Ilia Topuria's rumored extended time away from competition