Episode 672: Arman Tsarukyan forces the issue with Ilia Topuria

Prior to Arman Tsarukyan’s win over Dan Hooker on Saturday at UFC Fight Night in Qatar, we figured Tsarukyan was still on the outside looking in at the lightweight title picture. He’s long come off as a fairly nondescript, vaguely dickish yet undeniably tough guy who wasn’t offering much in the puts-butts-in-seats department. He’d already blown one title shot by pulling out of UFC 311 on a day’s notice — and the UFC still has Paddy Pimblett waiting as a more marketable and presumably far easier next opponent for Ilia Topuria. But this performance against Hooker? A full-on beatdown. And maybe Tsarukyan’s spoiled-brat persona is starting to take on the air of something a promoter can actually use. The question now: Can Tsarukyan force Topuria’s hand? Will Topuria lose face if he takes a gimme fight against Pimblett first? And will the UFC’s preference for Paddy the Baddie win out? Plus, Ian Garry keeps winning while somehow underperforming. And, of course, Conor McGregor has decided he is the great-grandson of God himself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices