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Arman Tsarukyan picks surprising name for Ilia Topuria’s next opponent

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Arman Tsarukyan picks surprising name for Ilia Topuria’s next opponent

Arman Tsarukyan believes Ilia Topuria's return fight will be against a well-known veteran in the lightweight division, but maybe one anyone is expecting.

In an interview on the UFC on Paramount+ YouTube channel, Tsarukyan was asked where Topuria fights in the 155-pound title picture after losing his championship and suffering his first defeat to Justin Gaethje in a shocking upset at UFC White House this past June. Topuria suffered facial injuries in the hard-fought contest and his recovery timetable is unclear, but Tsarukyan thinks Michael Chandler is a logical tune-up for Topuria before throwing Topuria back into the thick of contender race.

“He's still recovering and probably next for him a fight with Michael Chandler and then come back and fight for the title,†Tsarukyan said, adding, “Who else? After this fight, he needs someone easy, an easy fight, and then after that fight come and fight again.â€

Prior to his loss to Gaethje, Topuria was on one of the best runs in MMA history. He compiled a 17-0 record, capped by consecutive championship fight knockouts over Charles Oliveira, Max Holloway, and Alexander Volkanovski, the latter two at featherweight. However, the lightweight division continues to move on with Topuria on the shelf, with Tsarukyan set to take on Mauricio Ruffy in a pivotal contender contest in the five-round co-main event at UFC 331 on Sept. 19 in Los Angeles.

“Already No. 1 contender,†Tsarukyan said when asked if the stakes are high for him on Sept. 19.

Tsarukyan and Topuria have been at odds for years now, though a bout is yet to materialize despite the two now residing in the same weight class. A grudge match for the title would draw plenty of interest, and could be one option for Tsarukyan if he completes his mission of becoming the champion.

“There's a lot of top guys,†Tsarukyan said. “Me, Oliveira still. Paddy Pimblett. Topuria. Max Holloway is tough as well. But when I beat Ruffy, I'm going to fight for the title and then I can pick who I want to fight.â€

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MMA

Morning Report | Chris Weidman, Dustin Poirier recall opponents’ dramatic change from weigh-in to fight night: ‘Who the f*ck is this guy?’

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Morning Report | Chris Weidman, Dustin Poirier recall opponents’ dramatic change from weigh-in to fight night: ‘Who the f*ck is this guy?’

What’s up best community in sports? Hope you’re having a great start to the week.

Tomorrow (later than usual), we’re going LIVE with a special Between the Links episode. I’ll be in Las Vegas, and joining me will be the great José Youngs to answer your questions about UFC 333, the two title fights, RAF 14, and much more.

Here’s your chance to get your questions in, early and often. Show will go live around 6-6:30-ish p.m. ET, depending on my fun day of travel. Fire away, and we’ll see you tomorrow.

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MMA

Alexander Volkanovski predicts wild finish of 20-0 Movsar Evloev

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Alexander Volkanovski predicts 'wild' finish of 20-0 Movsar Evloev
Alexander
Volkanovski is brimming with confidence ahead of his next title
defense.

Volkanovski (28-4) is scheduled to defend his
Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight title against
Movsar
Evloev (20-0) at
UFC 333 on Oct. 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The Australian
champion believes he can deliver a career-best performance against
the undefeated Russian.

Alexander Volkanovski doubts Movsar Evloev can outgrapple him
for 25 minutes at UFC 333

Evloev has won all 10 of his UFC bouts by decision, but Volkanovski
doubts the challenger can outgrapple him for five rounds. “The
Great†believes Evloev would need to catch him with a decisive
strike to win.

“Trying to outgrapple me for 25 minutes, I can't see it,â€
Volkanovski told MMA Junkie. “I believe that the only chance that
any of these guys have is for them to catch me… If he thinks he can
beat me by decision or he thinks he can outgrapple me, I'm sure
he's gonna try, we'll see. I'm just very confident in my skills and
the fighter I still am… I think I can do it in pretty wild fashion.
I believe I can get a finish. I believe I can do it inside five… A
lot of people are going to go say after this fight, ‘Is that the
best Volk we’ve ever seen?'â€

Volkanovski first won the title against Max
Holloway in 2019 and defended it five times before losing to
Ilia
Topuria in 2024. He reclaimed the vacant championship against
Diego
Lopes last year after Topuria moved up to lightweight, then
defended it in their rematch in January.

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Joaquin Buckley vows to livestream UFC comeback after 3 straight losses

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Joaquin Buckley vows to livestream UFC comeback after 3 straight losses
Joaquin
Buckley remains undeterred after his third consecutive defeat
in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Buckley faced Mike Malott in the Canadian's home country at

UFC Edmonton on Saturday. Malott landed a knee in the second
round and followed with a punch before the referee stopped the
bout. Despite the setback, “New Mansa†remains optimistic about his
future.

Joaquin Buckley plans to document his rebuild after Mike
Malott’s UFC Edmonton knockout

Buckley won six straight fights before his current skid. He now
plans to livestream his efforts to rebuild, inviting fans to follow
the process.

“Right now, we rebuilding and I want y'all to see the process, not
just the results,†Buckley wrote in the caption of his postfight
Instagram post. “The highs, the lows, and everything it takes to
become who God called me to be.â€

In the accompanying video, Buckley said he wants to share his
training and introduce fans to his team.

“I realize that I want to document everything,†Buckley said. “I
want to document the process, I want to document the work, I want
to document the team. This is really just starting back over from
scratch; creating a new foundation and making something happen… I'm
not going to stop; I'm going to keep working. And I'll make sure
that everybody remembers that name.â€

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