Charles Oliveira believes Arman Tsarukyan has the tools to defeat Ilia Topuria if the two lightweight contenders eventually meet inside the Octagon.
Oliveira (37-11 MMA, 25-11 UFC) is uniquely positioned to assess the potential matchup, having faced both men in recent years. The former UFC lightweight champion dropped a decision to Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) at UFC 300 in 2024 before suffering a knockout loss to Topuria (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) in their fight for the vacant 155-pound title at UFC 317 last year.
Topuria recently experienced the first loss of his UFC career, falling to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House. In the aftermath of that defeat, a showdown with Tsarukyan has emerged as a possible comeback fight for the former champion.
Speaking with ALF Global on Tuesday, Oliveira said he believes Tsarukyan's wrestling-heavy style could present significant problems for Topuria.
“I think Tsarukyan is quite capable of winning,” Oliveira said. “I believe that, for example, you trade punches standing with Topuria just like it happened during my own fight with him, (then) he definitely has the power to knock you out cold.”
Oliveira pointed to Tsarukyan’s recent performances as evidence that the Armenian contender would likely avoid a prolonged striking battle.
“If you look closely at Tsarukyan's most recent fights, you will see that all he does is take his opponent down to the ground,” Oliveira said. “He's a guy who constantly goes for takedowns, so I think he definitely won't want to trade punches, but will want to take it to the ground. If it goes to the ground, of course, it's a completely different game.”
Oliveira also reflected on his own loss to Topuria, admitting he made a strategic mistake by engaging in a stand-up battle with the heavy-handed Spaniard-Georgian.
“I fought both of them, and in my fight against Topuria, I made a mistake,” Oliveira said. “I wanted to trade punches, wanted to move, believed I could knock him out, and my punch could land. If I had chosen a completely different strategy, the fight would have been different.”
The Brazilian added that Tsarukyan’s tendency to mix striking with takedowns could be the blueprint for success against Topuria.
“That's why I'm saying this,” Oliveira said. “Tsarukyan always fights like this in his recent bouts. He lands a strike and then takes it to the ground. He wrestles on the ground relying on grappling. I think that's the right tactic against Topuria.”
