MMA analyst Chael Sonnen claims the UFC’s current plan is to book Ilia Topuria against Arman Tsarukyan for the lightweight championship.
Topuria, one of the sport’s fastest-rising stars, has multiple potential options at lightweight and even welterweight, but Sonnen insists the direction is already set.
“Outside of illness or injury, I’m not sharing my opinion — I’m sharing a fact: it’s Arman vs Ilia. That is 100 percent the plan,” Sonnen told MMA Junkie.
Sonnen, who has close ties to Tsarukyan’s camp, explained that recent conversations and training observations confirmed the matchup. He also pointed to Topuria’s public denial of the fight as a classic tactic from elite fighters, noting, “The greats… their first move for a fight is to deny the fight. The only person he’s said he’ll openly fight is Paddy.”
If finalised, the bout would pit the unbeaten Topuria against Tsarukyan, a top contender with strong wrestling credentials, in a high-stakes showdown for the 155-pound crown.
