Sparks fly between Topuria and Tsarukyan
The Spanish-Georgian and the Armenian clashed on social media after meeting at the UFC Fight Night in Qatar.
The rivalry between Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan is heating up again after the two fighters crossed paths at UFC Fight Night in Qatar - a moment captured on video. The encounter has reignited tensions between the pair, sparking another round of trash talk between Topuria and Tsarukyan on social media.
“You freeze up like a scared duck”
Topuria wasted no time sharing the video with this caption: “Arman, every time we see each other in person you freeze up like a scared duck with no idea what to do. You know I handle you however I want. I fight whoever the UFC chooses. And remember I slapped you and you just laughed, then you go around acting like a gangster. So keep going, you’re on the right path… just a few levels below me, kid.”
Arman, every time we see each other in person you freeze up like a scared duck with no idea what to do. You know I handle you however I want. I fight whoever the UFC chooses. And remember I slapped you and you just laughed, then you go around acting like a gangster. So keep… pic.twitter.com/1O9S3PKOU1
— Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) November 23, 2025
Topuria “doing everything in power” to avoid fight, Tsarukyan says
Tsarukyan fired back almost immediately, promising to save his slaps for inside the Octagon: “Bro, you touched my neck like we were taking a family photo and now you’re calling it a slap online? The clip is clear - your insecurity’s even clearer. I don’t need to act tough for Twitter, my work is inside the cage. If you want to know what a real slap feels like, I’ll be happy to educate you. See you soon, El Pato [The Duck].”
The tension escalated further after Topuria’s recent interview with journalist Álvaro Colmenero, where he didn’t mention Tsarukyan at all - instead naming Paddy Pimblett as a potential opponent: “I’d like to fight Paddy if they don’t let me move up to welterweight to fight Islam [Makhachev]. Because the fight I’d really like is against Islam in the third weight class.”
That omission didn’t sit well with Tsarukyan, who quickly accused “The Duck” - his nickname for Topuria - of dodging him: “Could it be any more obvious that el pato is doing everything in his power to avoid fighting me?” So far, Topuria hasn’t responded, and Tsarukyan remains off his UFC roadmap - for now.
Could it be any more obvious that el pato is doing everything in his power to avoid fighting me? https://t.co/200p7ahsLX
— Arman Tsarukyan UFC (@ArmanUfc) November 25, 2025
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