Arman Tsarukyan says Charles Oliveira using teammate’s death as ‘excuse’ not to fight
Credit: Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC
UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan doesn’t have a lot of sympathy for Charles Oliveira after their scratched UFC 331 rematch.
Top UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan and BMF titleholder Charles Oliveira were rumored to run it back at UFC 331 next month. Tsarukyan defeated Oliveira in a closely contested bout at UFC 300 earlier in their careers.
Despite recent rumors, the UFC matchmakers booked Tsarukyan for the UFC 331 co-main event against surging contender Mauricio Ruffy. Oliveira’s teammate Allan Nascimento’s tragic death was proposed as the likely reason for Oliveira’s sudden withdrawal from the rumored UFC 331 matchup.
But just days after the new UFC 331 fight announcement, Oliveira has posted training footage on his social media accounts, as fans await news on the BMF champ’s return. According to Tsarukyan, the validity of Oliveira’s apparent pullout from UFC 331 should be questioned.
Arman Tsarukyan: Charles Oliveira used teammate’s death to ‘duck’ rematch
In a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Tsarukyan was asked about Oliveira pulling out of their rumored rematch at UFC 331.
“Charles’ friend died, and he cannot train; but I don’t understand, in 3-4 days he’s doing training and back in camp,” Tsarukyan said of Oliveira.
“Probably they already set up a fight with Diego Lopes. He was just finding an excuse. To lose somebody is so hard, but you could beat me and dedicate the victory to your friend. Fight me or Diego Lopes? For sure, he would pick Diego Lopes.” (h/t MMA Mania)
A matchup between Oliveira and former UFC featherweight title challenger Diego Lopes has been proposed as a potential future bout. Lopes recently announced his full-time move to the lightweight division after back-to-back losses to featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski.
Oliveira last fought against Max Holloway at UFC 326, winning by unanimous decision to earn the BMF title. The former UFC lightweight champion is looking to make another title push after a recent vacant title loss to Ilia Topuria.
What is your prediction for Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
