“My next fight will be against a top-five opponent,” the Russian said in another video blog posted on his Youtube channel. “At the moment I can’t divulge his name, but the date and the name of the opponent have already been confirmed. I mean, I know who it’s going to be, but I can’t say who exactly yet. But unequivocally, he’s a top-five guy.”
Despite the lack of specifics, the only available option for Tsarukyan in the top five remains American Benil Dariush, ranked fourth in the division rankings.
A month and a half ago, informed sources close to the situation reported that the fight between Tsarukyan and Dariush would take place on October 21 at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi, however, the Russian’s manager called the news a fake.
Arman Tsarukyan, 26, picked up his second straight win on June 17, finishing Joaquim Silva by third-round TKO, while 34-year-old Benil Dariush snapped an eight-fight win streak a week earlier, losing by first-round TKO to Charles Oliveira in a potential contender’s bout.