Daniel Cormier has made a strong case for why Arman Tsarukyan must be the first contender for Justin Gaethje’s lightweight title.
“I was talking to Dana White when I was at The Ultimate Fighter, and we were speaking about Arman, and we were speaking about how Arman has essentially made himself undeniable,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel.
“One, because obviously he’s won so many fights in a row, but his side quests, as you guys like to call it. Wrestling in RAF, boxing when he can, grappling when he can. He’s been so active that the UFC can’t ignore that, and the UFC honestly took note of it, and they’re kind of excited now about Arman Tsarukyan and his potential for the new fans that he has drawn in.”
Tsarukyan is currently on a five fight winning streak in the UFC, with his latest victory coming via submission against Dan Hooker back in November of last year.
However, since then Tsarukyan has also managed to compile a 6-0 record in the RAF wrestling promotion, beating former UFC stars like Tony Ferguson and Urijah Faber along the way, while over the past couple of years he’s also undefeated in submission grappling, including wins over veterans like Patricky ‘Pitbull’, Benson Henderson and just a few months ago Muhammad Mokaev.
On top of that Tsarukyan has also managed to become popular in the online streaming world, appearing alongside famous streamers like Adin Ross and N3on, which has taken his popularity to new heights and made him a far more marketable star than he was in the past.
“It has to be Arman,” Cormier continued. “I get what Do Bronx [Charles Oliveira] is saying. He’s the BMF champ. He feels like he beat Max Holloway, he beat [Mateusz Gamrot], and he did it in amazing fashion. But I just don’t know if those victories would warrant you jumping Arman Tsarukyan. …
“I think people are ready to watch Arman fight for the belt, and rightfully so. So, love Charles, love that he’s making a statement, but the reality is, it has to be Arman Tsarukyan.”
Watch Cormier’s full thoughts on the situation below.
