Arman Tsarukyan interested in fighting “dummy” Michael Chandler next: “He’s old and it’s time to retire”
UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan is interested in fighting “dummy” Michael Chandler next, saying that “he’s old and it’s time to retire.”
Tsarukyan, the No. 9 ranked UFC lightweight, recently defeated Damir Ismagulov for the biggest win of his career at UFC Vegas 66. Just 26 years of age, Tsarukyan is now 6-2 overall in the Octagon, and he looks like a future title contender. In fact, he was one of the few fighters who actually gave UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev a tough fight, which he did in his UFC debut back in 2018.
Tsarukyan’s goal is to get back to the title picture, and the win over Ismagulov moves him one step closer to the top of the division. Next, he’ll need to beat another top fighter in order to move up the rankings, and it seems like he has hit his sights set on the top-five ranked Chandler. Although Chandler is coming off of a submission loss to Dustin Poirier, everyone knows he’s one of the best lightweights in the world, and Tsarukyan wants to take on this challenge next.
Speaking to Hardcore MMA (via Red Corner MMA), Tsarukyan explained why he wants to fight Chandler.
“(Chandler) needs to retire already. All of them need to retire. (Beneil) Dariush, no, not him. Chandler, Poirier, (Justin) Gaethje. Just get rid of them. Eliminate from the top 15. All they do is fight each other and that’s it. They don’t want to fight anyone. Those three guys are my least favorite fighters,” Tsarukyan said (h/t MMAFighting.com).
“Of course (I’d fight them). Chandler is not a threat. He can’t do anything to Islam. He charges like a bull in rounds one and two. If you watch his fight with Gaethje, he fought like a dummy. You’re a wrestler. Why are you fighting in stand-up with him? You pick him up, set him down, and don’t even get the position. Why did you even pick him up? Even threw him over the shoulder. You call that a wrestler? If you pick him up, you have to get the position. No logic. He’s old and it’s time to retire.”
It will be interesting to see who the UFC matches up Tsarukyan with next, and if the promotion likes this proposed fight against Chandler in what would pit two of the best lightweights in MMA against each other.
Do you want to see the UFC match up Arman Tsarukyan against Michael Chandler next?
