TLDR
- Sean O’Malley claims the UFC won’t book Arman Tsarukyan against Ilia Topuria for the lightweight title
- O’Malley believes Tsarukyan is the only legitimate threat to Topuria’s lightweight championship
- The former bantamweight champion thinks the UFC prefers Topuria as champion and doesn’t want Tsarukyan to win the belt
- Tsarukyan recently defeated Dan Hooker by submission at UFC Qatar and called out Topuria on social media
- Topuria won the vacant lightweight title by knocking out Charles Oliveira after moving up from featherweight
Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley has sparked controversy by claiming the promotion is avoiding a potential lightweight title fight. O’Malley believes the UFC will not book Arman Tsarukyan against current champion Ilia Topuria because they fear the outcome.
O’Malley made these comments on his YouTube channel after Tsarukyan’s recent victory. The former champion stated that Tsarukyan poses a legitimate threat to Topuria’s reign at lightweight.
Tsarukyan defeated Dan Hooker by arm-triangle choke submission in the second round at UFC Qatar last weekend. The win improved his record to 23-3 and solidified his position as the top-ranked contender in the lightweight division.
After the victory, Tsarukyan took to social media to call out Topuria. He wrote that Hooker had bigger courage than the division champion for accepting the fight.
Topuria currently holds an undefeated record of 17-0. He won the vacant lightweight title earlier this year by knocking out Charles Oliveira.
The Georgian champion previously held the featherweight title before vacating it to move up to 155 pounds. He originally targeted Islam Makhachev for the lightweight belt, but Makhachev moved up to welterweight.
O’Malley explained his theory about the UFC’s matchmaking preferences during his YouTube discussion. He said the promotion loves Topuria as champion and considers him great for the role.
The former champion added that he doesn’t believe the UFC wants Tsarukyan to become champion. O’Malley stated that if anyone has a chance of beating Topuria at 155 pounds, it’s Tsarukyan.
The Contender Picture
Tsarukyan was previously sidelined as punishment for pulling out of a title shot against Makhachev earlier this year. His ranking as the number one contender and recent dominant performance have renewed calls for a title opportunity.
O’Malley acknowledged that while he thinks Topuria might knock out Tsarukyan, the Armenian fighter represents a serious challenge. He described Tsarukyan as “no joke” when discussing the potential matchup.
Topuria has reportedly threatened retirement if forced to defend his title against Tsarukyan. The champion is expected to return for the UFC’s first card of 2026.
Alternative Opponents
Several other names are being mentioned as potential opponents for Topuria’s first title defense. Justin Gaethje has repeatedly stated he will quit the UFC if not given a shot at the lightweight belt next year.
Gaethje has previously failed in title challenges against both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira. Paddy Pimblett is another fighter who has been mentioned as a possible opponent.
Pimblett has been engaged in an ongoing verbal feud with Topuria. The British fighter has confirmed he plans to return in 2026 and hopes to challenge for the lightweight championship.
Tsarukyan believes there is no denying him a title shot after his dominant win over Hooker at UFC Qatar. The number one ranked lightweight contender has been rallying for a title fight against Topuria.
