UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan wants a shot at Michael Chandler for his first fight of the new year.
Tsarukyan most recently earned a unanimous decision victory against Damir Ismagulov last month. He got back in the win column after a ‘Fight of the Year’ contender against Mateusz Gamrot last June.
Tsarukyan wasted no time calling out a pair of top contenders following his win over Ismagulov. But, the two fighters he called out, Beneil Dariush and Charles Oliveira, appear targeted to fight one another.
This leaves Tsarukyan without a clear-cut option for his next fight. He could opt to fight someone below him in the rankings, but that likely wouldn’t do much for his title aspirations.
Tsarukyan wants a piece of Chandler to continue his rise in the rankings.
Arman Tsarukyan to Michael Chandler: “Defend Your Rankings!”
In a recent tweet, Tsarukyan called for Chandler’s spot in the lightweight division.
“Hey [Michael Chandler] it’s time to defend your rankings!” Tsarukyan tweeted Friday. “Lowest fight IQ in the division against new mma generation. I won’t see you at the top.”
Chandler hasn’t responded to Tsarukyan’s callout as of this writing.
After a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 281, Chandler is transfixed on a fight with Conor McGregor for later this year. The two of them have expressed an interest in facing one another, and could also coach The Ultimate Fighter.
Before the close loss to Gamrot, Tsarukyan won five straight fights. His only loss before Gamrot came against Islam Makhachev in his promotional debut in 2019.
If Chandler doesn’t want to wait for McGregor’s uncertain timetable for return, a matchup with Tsarukyan would make a lot of sense. On paper, the fight could be another chaotic affair for both athletes.