"Arman Tsarukyan on UFC 300 against Dustin Poirier" - Daniel Cormier plays matchmaker for the future of the UFC lightweight division

Arman Tsarukyan was able to enter the top five of the UFC rankings after needing just over a minute to defeat Beneil Dariush via knockout in the main UFC event on ESPN 52. While the UFC lightweight title picture is crowded, UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier shared a matchup that he believes would clear up the division.

Speaking on his podcast, DC & RC, the former double champ and current mixed martial arts analyst shared that he doesn't believe the No.4-ranked lightweight will jump Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje for a title shot before adding:

"I believe that if Islam [Makhachev] fights sometime in the first quarter of the year, you put Tsarukyan on UFC 300 against Dustin Poirier because Dustin said he wants to fight at that point. You know that UFC 300 is somewhere around April. You put him on UFC 300 and then maybe, maybe, he comes back at the end of the year for that third fight that Makhachev said he wants."

Cormier continued:

"Now, you've got a guy that just beat one of the biggest names, if he can get past Poirier. If he doesn't, Dustin Poirier has now laid claim to the title shot after Justin Gaethje so it really does bring some stability to this weight class."

Check out Daniel Cormier's comments on Arman Tsarukyan and the lightweight title picture below (starting at the 10:44 mark):

Cormier noted that, unlike many contenders, Tsarukyan has expressed he will fight rather than sit out and wait for a title opportunity. Makhachev previously revealed he hopes to defend his title three times in 2024, which will leave the door open for the No.4-ranked lightweight to receive a title opportunity before the end of next year.

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Dan Hooker believes Islam Makhachev will retire before facing Arman Tsarukyan

Arman Tsarukyan is inching closer to a title opportunity in a crowded lightweight division. Dan Hooker recently revealed that he believes Islam Makhachev will retire before facing the No.4-ranked lightweight. Speaking to Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour, 'The Hangman' stated:

"He ain't going to fight him. I guarantee he'll retire by the time Arman gets there, for sure... Too risky, there's too much risk. There's too many other easier fights out there. Stylistically. The bigger names who are actually - no one's going to buy an Arman Tsarukyan pay-per-view. Come on, you know what I mean. No one's tuning into the press conference. No one's giving the $80 for the pay-per-view. You’d rather watch Islam fight [Conor] McGregor or [Justin] Gaethje or someone like that."

Check out Dan Hooker's comments on Arman Tsarukyan and Islam Makhachev below:

Tsarukyan stepped in on short notice to make his UFC debut against Makhachev at UFC Fight Night 149 at the age of 22. While he lost the bout via unanimous decision, his performance was impressive. The No.4-ranked lightweight has claimed that he will knock the champion out if he gets the opportunity to face him again.