UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan isn’t impressed by the fighters at the top of the division. In particular, he feels like some of the older 155-pounders should step aside and make room for the next generation, singling out Michael Chandler, who he called a “dummy”, in a recent interview with Hardcore MMA.
“[Chandler] needs to retire already. All of them need to retire. Dariush… no, not him. Chandler, Poirier, Gaethje. Just get rid of them. Eliminate from the top 15. All they do is fight each other and that’s it. They don’t want to fight anyone. Those three guys are my least favorite fighters.
Tsarukyan: “Dummy” Chandler “Needs to Retire”
Of course [I’d fight them]. Chandler is not a threat. He can’t do anything to Islam. He charges like a bull in rounds one and two. If you watch his fight with Gaethje, he fought like a dummy. You’re a wrestler. Why are you fighting in stand-up with him? You pick him up, set him down, and don’t even get the position. Why did you even pick him up? Even threw him over the shoulder. You call that a wrestler? If you pick him up, you have to get the position. No logic. He’s old and it’s time to retire.”
Tsarukyan, who has amassed a 6-1 record in the UFC, is currently ranked ninth in the lightweight division. Despite the distance between his position and the title, currently held by Islam Makhachev, Tsarukyan believes that he has what it takes to dethrone the champ.
“That would be No. 9. No. 9 will give him the most competitive fight out of all top 15 fighters. I’m sure of it. I showed in my UFC debut that I can compete with him.”
Tsarukyan faced Makhachev once before, back in 2019. The fight, a grappling-heavy affair that showcased both fighters’ A-games, earned Fight of the Night honors at the time. He lost that fight, and will have to do better to take out Makhachev in the rematch. He’ll also have to wait a moment to secure a title shot, with Makhachev set to make his first lightweight title defense against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 282.
Volkanovski, the UFC featherweight champion, is attempting to move up a division to capture a second belt. Volkanovski is currently the no.1 pound-for-pound fighter on the UFC roster, and will present Makhachev’s greatest challenge yet.
Do you think Arman Tsarukyan will follow through on his threat? Let us know in the comments.
