Daniel Cormier: Arman Tsarukyan toughest, least lucrative fight for UFC champ Islam Makhachev

Daniel Cormier believes UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev should avoid fighting Arman Tsarukyan.

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) is steering toward the direction of Dustin Poirier for his next title defense, but a No. 1 contender is expected to emerge out of UFC 300.

Saturday features two marquee lightweight matchups as Justin Gaethje defends his BMF title against Max Holloway, along with former champ Charles Oliveira and Tsarukyan squaring off as they eye rematches with Makhachev. Cormier said Makhachev has the least to gain from fighting Tsarukyan (21-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC).

“Islam and Tsarukyan would be probably the lowest-selling fight of all those fights, but it would be the absolute toughest,” Cormier said on his ESPN show “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Chael Sonnen. “Tsarukyan has a style that lends itself to being competitive against Makhachev. … I believe that Tsarukyan fight is the toughest fight. I don’t know that it’s the most lucrative fight for Makhachev.

“Who you don’t want, honestly, is Arman Tsarukyan. Not because you’re afraid of him, but you don’t really want it because it doesn’t seem to make sense. He needs a little bit more. Maybe he gets the rub from beating Charles Oliveira if he can this weekend and that helps, but I still don’t believe that it generates the revenue for you as a champion, as a Dustin Poirier or a Justin Gaethje.”

Tsarukyan faced Makhachev in his UFC debut in April 2019, losing a competitive decision. He has since gone 8-1, most recently knocking out Beneil Dariush in the first round at UFC on ESPN 52.