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Arman Tsarukyan just can't see himself getting skipped over again in the title queue at lightweight.
Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC), long labeled the No. 1 contender in the UFC lightweight rankings, thinks the time has finally come for the belt. The Armenian fighter sees himself as the obvious answer for champion Justin Gaethje, who took the lightweight belt from Ilia Topuria in the main event of Sunday's UFC Freedom 250 at the White House.
"It has to be me. Who else?" Tsarukyan said on The Ariel Helwani Show. "What are they going to do? They're going to put Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje or Conor McGregor, if he wins, and I don't think he wins versus Max Holloway? It's me. I want to beat Justin Gaethje. I want to beat everybody, and when Ilia is going to be ready, I want to be the champion, and I'll do same as Justin did and even worse."
Like many, Tsarukyan was surprised to see Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) pull off the upset. Few were giving Gaethje a chance against Topuria. But unlike many, Tsarukyan found out about the fight result under peculiar circumstances.
"I couldn't watch the fight," Tsarukyan said. "I was flying on British Airlines, and I thought they were going to have internet. I was flying business class. They don't have Wi-Fi on that plane, and I was sitting and saying, 'No way. How can I miss this fight?,' and eight hours, I was thinking of what happened. When we land, my internet is still didn't work, but my friend's internet worked, and he said, 'Justin won,' and I said, 'What?' I thought he was kidding."
Tsarukyan gives all the credit to Gaethje and applauded him for his game plan. However, he also sees a side where Topuria underestimated Gaethje.
"He felt so confident like, 'I'm going in there to knock him out,'" Tsarukyan said. "He didn't even use his jab. He just went in there to throw his right hand and knock him out right away. But Justin, he's a dog. He's got a good chin, and he stopped him with his jab. Justin's jab was so good. Ilia thinks he's Canelo and he has the best boxing, but it didn't work. Justin did a good job."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Next UFC title challenger for Justin Gaethje? Top contender says it's him
Continue reading...
Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC), long labeled the No. 1 contender in the UFC lightweight rankings, thinks the time has finally come for the belt. The Armenian fighter sees himself as the obvious answer for champion Justin Gaethje, who took the lightweight belt from Ilia Topuria in the main event of Sunday's UFC Freedom 250 at the White House.
"It has to be me. Who else?" Tsarukyan said on The Ariel Helwani Show. "What are they going to do? They're going to put Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje or Conor McGregor, if he wins, and I don't think he wins versus Max Holloway? It's me. I want to beat Justin Gaethje. I want to beat everybody, and when Ilia is going to be ready, I want to be the champion, and I'll do same as Justin did and even worse."
Like many, Tsarukyan was surprised to see Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) pull off the upset. Few were giving Gaethje a chance against Topuria. But unlike many, Tsarukyan found out about the fight result under peculiar circumstances.
"I couldn't watch the fight," Tsarukyan said. "I was flying on British Airlines, and I thought they were going to have internet. I was flying business class. They don't have Wi-Fi on that plane, and I was sitting and saying, 'No way. How can I miss this fight?,' and eight hours, I was thinking of what happened. When we land, my internet is still didn't work, but my friend's internet worked, and he said, 'Justin won,' and I said, 'What?' I thought he was kidding."
Tsarukyan gives all the credit to Gaethje and applauded him for his game plan. However, he also sees a side where Topuria underestimated Gaethje.
"He felt so confident like, 'I'm going in there to knock him out,'" Tsarukyan said. "He didn't even use his jab. He just went in there to throw his right hand and knock him out right away. But Justin, he's a dog. He's got a good chin, and he stopped him with his jab. Justin's jab was so good. Ilia thinks he's Canelo and he has the best boxing, but it didn't work. Justin did a good job."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Next UFC title challenger for Justin Gaethje? Top contender says it's him
Continue reading...
