Khabib Nurmagomedov has made a bold prediction about UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria's chances against Arman Tsarukyan. The former lightweight king didn't mince words when discussing the potential matchup, giving Tsarukyan a massive edge over the Spanish-Georgian fighter.
"I believe right now the best lightweight in the world is Tsarukyan. In a fight against Topuria, I'd give an 80%-20% advantage to Tsarukyan," Nurmagomedov stated in an interview with Kamil Gadzhiyev.
Topuria has been eyeing a second championship belt since capturing the featherweight title. He previously had his sights set on Islam Makhachev before the latter moved up to welterweight, leaving fans disappointed about missing what many compared to the Khabib vs McGregor rivalry.
The Dagestan native didn't stop there with his criticism. "We all know the wrestling level of Holloway and Oliveira. It's practically non-existent. But a guy with wrestling... Topuria has never faced someone like that. He's only faced strikers," Khabib continued.
Interestingly, Topuria recently knocked out former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira in the first round, proving he could handle the move up in weight class despite critics suggesting he'd be too small for the division.
Tsarukyan is desperate for a shot at Topuria. He debuted in the UFC against Islam Makhachev on short notice and was scheduled for a rematch in January before withdrawing due to a back injury - a decision that severely hurt his standing.
"I know the UFC is cautious, they don't want to match him against Topuria too soon. Right now, Topuria is a bigger star than Arman, but if Arman gets a good win... where can they hide him? They won't be able to," Khabib added.
What many forget is that while Topuria is known for his exceptional boxing skills, he's also a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu with his first UFC wins coming by submission. The ground game might not be as one-sided as some believe.
Justin Gaethje appears to be the frontrunner for Topuria's next challenge, though fans are more eager to see him face his arch-enemy Paddy Pimblett. Will the UFC give Tsarukyan his shot at gold if he picks up another impressive victory? The lightweight drama continues to unfold.
