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Arman Tsarukyan could not be any less concerned about Georges St-Pierre preparing Olivier Aubin-Mercier for UFC 240.
Olivier Aubin-Mercier is training with all-time great Georges St-Pierre for UFC 240, but his opponent Arman Tsarukyan is not particularly bothered.
Tsarukyan said he was well prepared for his sophomore UFC fight in an interview with Bloody Elbow. “I don’t care who he is training with and what he does, it won’t make the win sweeter,” he stated. “I just have to go through him and focus on what I do, not what he does.”
Aubin-Mercier has expressed anxiety heading into UFC 240 and many of his past fights. Tsarukyan smells blood in the water. “I think if you are worried and anxious it means you are not confident in yourself. I’m not anxious at all, I’m fully confident in myself. I’m going in there to give everything I have,” he argued. “My hard work in this camp will speak for itself in this fight because I accomplished my goals in preparation and I have nothing to worry about.”
The Armenian-Russian fighter has had no easy fights since joining the UFC. Tsarukyan (13-2) fought Islam Makhachev (16-1) at UFC St. Petersburg and now meets 11-fight UFC veteran OAM (11-4). “My debut and my second fight are against very experienced and strong opponents, but I think it’s very good for me because I will learn faster and become only better from this experience,” he asserted. “I crave to get the win in that contest like nothing else. I have more motivation.”
Tsarukyan got to hold the old UFC championship belt for the first time at UFC 238 in Chicago. He savors that moment heading into UFC 240. “I had very positive feelings from it and it motivates me because everything is possible,” he stated. “But it’s a still a long journey ahead, I will need to work hard and give my all to achieve the best possible results.”
UFC 240 is headlined by a featherweight title fight between Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar. Cris Cyborg and Felicia Spencer will meet in the co-main event. The event takes place on Saturday, July 27 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.