According to former UFC fighter turned analyst Chael Sonnen, Ilia Topuria officially has his first UFC Lightweight Title defence booked.
The UFC insider and respected MMA voice has revealed that Topuria’s first defence of his 155-pound belt has been confirmed and will be officially announced in due course.
Ilia Topuria First UFC Lightweight Title Defence Officially Booked
After capturing the UFC Lightweight Title last time out with his emphatic Round 1 knockout over future Hall of Famer Charles Oliveira, MMA fans cannot wait to see Ilia Topuria back in the octagon as soon as possible.
Topuria has secured three straight knockouts over future UFC Hall of Famers. First he knocked out Alexander Volkanovski, before doing the same to Max Holloway before then moving up to lightweight to dispatch of ‘Do Bronx’.
‘El Matador’ has looked like a world beater so far, boasting a perfect 17-0 MMA record as the latest two-division UFC champion. Now he is the king at lightweight, his first UFC Lightweight Title defence is a hot topic of conversation.
The likes of Arman Tsarukyan, Holloway, Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje all feel they should be next in line for a shot at Topuria and the lightweight belt.
Pimblett ended up having a staredown with Topuria inside the octagon in the aftermath of UFC 317, which UFC President Dana White wasn’t a huge fan of. Despite this act, ‘The Baddy’ isn’t the next UFC Lightweight Title challenger.
Chael Sonnen has confirmed that Arman Tsarukyan will officially challenge Ilia Topuria in his first UFC Lightweight Title defence later this year.
As the #2 ranked lightweight, Tsarukyan, who boasts a stellar 22-3 MMA record consisting of nine UFC wins, more than deserves his shot at UFC gold for the very first time.
He was meant to have fought Islam Makhachev for the belt UFC 311 back in January, but pulled out out of the contest during fight week because of injury. Now though, it seems Tsarukyan if finally getting his shot at the 155-pound belt.
Chael Sonnen Reveals Ilia Topuria Will Fight Arman Tsarukyan For First UFC Lightweight Title Defence
In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Chael Sonnen revealed that he knows exactly who Ilia Topuria’s first UFC Lightweight Title defence is against:
“Outside of illness or injury, even if I’m breaking news to you, I’m not sharing my opinion. I’m sharing a fact with you: It’s Arman vs Ilia. That is 100% the plan,” Sonnen told MMA Junkie‘s Mike Bohn.
This means that Ilia Topuria’s next fight will see him take on the #2 ranked contender Arman Tsarukyan, likely before the end of the year. The bout is yet to be officially signed and announced, but expect that before the end of August.
A lot of MMA fans argue that Tsarukyan is the most deserving content, with Topuria’s first UFC Lightweight Title defence rightly against the Armenian. However, some fans have been critical of Tsarukyan too, give the fact he pulled out of the Islam Makhachev fight just hours before the UFC 311 weigh-ins.
That being said, Tsarukyan was the back-up fighter at UFC 317 when ‘El Matador’ become champion in knocking out Charles Oliveira. He also made championship weight, so this announcement from Sonnen doesn’t come as a huge surprise.
Who Is The Ilia Topuria vs Arman Tsarukyan Favourite?
Should the Ilia Topuria vs Arman Tsarukyan fight for the UFC Lightweight Title get officially announced, the reigning champion would undoubtedly be the pre-fight favourite with UFC betting sites to retain his 155-pound belt.
This comes as no surprise given Topuria’s form of late and the fact he has knocked out three future UFC Hall of Famers in quick succession.
That being said, Tsarukyan is currently on a four-fight winning run, with his last defeat coming over three years ago. He has been highly ranked at 155-pounds for a while now, despite not being granted a title shot yet.
The 28-year-old was of course meant to fight Islam Makhachev, who aims to become a two-division UFC champion in his next fight, at UFC 311 back in January, but pulled out during fight week due to injury. He is yet to fight since, but looks set to face Ilia Topuria in his first UFC Lightweight Title defence before the end of the year.
The Armenian will be firmly up against it and a considering underdog, but write him off at your peril!
