Surging UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan has a prediction for the year, and it’s not one fans will be too happy about. Tsarukyan just blasted Joaquin Silva with a third-round TKO at UFC Vegas 75, and wants to fight an elite contender in the division.
He believes Michael Chandler, widely expected to face UFC superstar Conor McGregor before the year is over, will be available.
Arman Tsarukyan Demands Michael Chandler UFC Fight
Chandler is coaching this season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite McGregor, who has not fought in almost two years. Opposing coaches on TUF typically square off at the end of the season, but no date has yet been confirmed.
“If you ask me, the fight I want the most is Michael Chandler. It looks like his fight with Conor McGregor is [not going to happen], so he’s got to fight someone, and I’m here.
I have a good win streak, so let’s do it. Let’s do this fight because I’m the youngest guy in the top-15, and he’s the older one. I think the fight is fun. New generation fighting older generation.”
Arman Tsarukyan may have a point about the McGregor-Chandler fight. Conor McGregor, in 2021, endured two back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier. In the second fight, McGregor’s shin snapped, sidelining the Irish superstar for the past two years.
Since then, McGregor has left the USADA testing pool – presence in which is mandatory for fighters in the UFC – and become embroiled in a variety of controversies. This includes sexual assault allegations from the NBA Finals game in Miami.
If Tsarukyan is right, and Conor McGregor is unable to fight for another year, Michael Chandler may well have an opening in his schedule.
Otherwise, Tsarukyan dropped another major name, one who needs a big win more than most. Beneil Dariush just suffered a show-stopping loss to former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, and Arman Tsarykyan smells blood in the water.
“If Dariush can fight in Abu Dhabi in October, I definitely want to fight with him. If not, and you know me, I’m going to fight everybody, but [I want] somebody from the top five — [Michael] Chandler, Dariush, whatever. But I think a fight with Dariush makes sense.”
Beneil Dariush, in losing to Charles Oliveira, lost more than his eight-fight winning streak. Dariush was gunning for the lightweight title, and at 34 years of age may not be able to string together enough elite wins to contend for UFC gold.
