Arman Tsarukyan respects Charles Oliveira, but if you ask him, he sees easy work in the former UFC champion.

Tsarukyan (19-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) is set to make his return this Saturday in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 46, as he takes on Joaquim Silva (12-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) in a lightweight bout that airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

Ahead of his fight, Tsarukyan was asked about his thoughts on Oliveira’s first-round TKO win over Beneil Dariush this past Saturday at UFC 289.

“Charles is a good opponent, a good fighter,” Tsarukyan told reporters at Wednesday’s UFC on ESPN 46 media day. “He has a lot of experience, and he’s patient. It showed what level has Charles. For me, Charles is a present, I’m going to smash him, easy. Because his style for me is the best style.”

Tsarukyan, 26, said he expected Dariush to win the contest and go on to challenge champion Islam Makhachev at October’s UFC 294 event in Abu Dhabi. However, with the setback, Tsarukyan doesn’t see a path back to a championship for Dariush, 34, given his age.

“I thought Dariush was going to win, for sure,” Tsarukyan said. “He’s in good shape. It was his last chance in his life, I think, to be a champion, to fight with Islam Makhachev. Because if he won, he could fight with Islam Makhachev, but now he lost and to go on the top, to be a contender, it takes a year, a year and a half, two years, you know. He’s not young like me. That’s why I thought he was going to give all himself in this fight. He did start to look good, but then something happened, he missed the punch, and it is what it is.”

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