Demetrious Johnson Backs Arman Tsarukyan As Ilia Topuria’s Biggest Threat At Lightweight

Las Vegas — When the fighter widely considered the greatest flyweight of all time speaks, the lightweight division listens. Demetrious Johnson, fresh off a training camp alongside surging contender Arman Tsarukyan, has declared the Armenian the most dangerous obstacle standing between undefeated champion Ilia Topuria and continued dominance at 155 pounds.

“After training with him, if he fights Ilia Topuria, I think he has the athletic ability, the skill set, and the mindset to beat Ilia Topuria,” Johnson told reporters. “Arman should be fighting the winner of Justin Gaethje vs. Ilia Topuria. I think Arman Tsarukyan has the best chance in the lightweight division to beat Ilia Topuria.”

The endorsement carries extra weight because Johnson has spent rounds inside the cage with Tsarukyan and has faced elite wrestlers and strikers throughout his own Hall-of-Fame career. His assessment validates a growing chorus from fans and analysts who believe Tsarukyan’s blend of chain wrestling, dynamic scrambling, and composure under fire makes him the stylistic antidote to Topuria’s precision striking and suffocating pressure.

Seventeen opponents have tried and failed to solve Topuria’s puzzle, yet the UFC has twice bypassed Tsarukyan for a title shot, citing behavioral issues and last-minute withdrawals. Still, the 27-year-old keeps sharpening his tools, using sessions with Johnson to stay ready for the moment the organization calls his number.

Off the mats, the rivalry has taken a surreal turn. Topuria recently listed his $3.5 million Madrid estate—complete with a private gym, spa, 24/7 security, and six-car garage—prompting Tsarukyan to post a public challenge: “I’ll buy your house if you agree to fight me next.” The taunt, while unlikely to trigger a real-estate transaction, keeps their potential showdown squarely in the headlines and underscores Tsarukyan’s willingness to meet the champion anywhere—inside the octagon or at the closing table.

Topuria has openly balked at facing Tsarukyan next, even hinting he would relinquish the belt if the matchup were mandated. Johnson’s ringing endorsement, however, only amplifies the pressure on the champion to confront the one contender who, according to an all-time great, possesses the complete package to dethrone him.

As the UFC maps its lightweight title trajectory, the question is no longer whether Tsarukyan deserves the shot—it’s whether Topuria will accept the challenge before the division’s most avoided contender literally buys the champ’s front door.