Khabib Nurmagomedov prefers that Islam Makhachev fights Arman Tsarukyan instead of Ilia Topuria.
While Tsarukyan is the No. 1 lightweight contender, former featherweight champ Topuria recently vacated his belt to move up to lightweight. Topuria is calling for an immediate title shot at 155 pounds, but Makhachev doesn’t think he deserves the opportunity yet. Nurmagomedov believes Tsarukyan is a more competitive matchup than Topuria for his prodigy.
“In my opinion, not necessarily dangerous, let’s say more competitive, I think it’s Tsarukyan,” Nurmagomedov told Adam Zubayrav. “I think Arman is a more serious fighter than Topuria.