Arman Tsarukyan had a close eye on the UFC 302 main event bout between Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier. The Armenian is currently the top lightweight contender and potential title threat to Makhachev. Given the competitiveness between both the fighters, Tsarukyan recently gave his opinion on Makhachev’s performance.Â
Arman Tsarukyan did an interview with MMA reporter, Ariel Helwani on his show The MMA Hour. During the conversation, Helwani asked Tsarukyan about what he would do against Makhachev given his current form. While responding to it, Tsarukyan had a rather dismissive response.
It would be very easy fight for me. I could over-wrestle him that fight as well because he got tired. When you are tired, you can’t do sh*t.Â
Arman Tsarukyan via The MMA Hour ShowÂ
Going into the fight, Arman had warned Makhachev not to try boxing with Dustin Poirier. However, the champion not only just did that but also managed to outstrike the ’Diamond’. After five rounds of back and forth, Makhachev took the victory with a masterclass move.Â
Congrats to Islam! But don’t try to run away to another division. You’ve only defended your title once against a real lightweight, and I’m next in line
— Arman Tsarukyan UFC (@ArmanUfc) June 2, 2024
However, that doesn’t seem to impress Tsarukyan as he made a tweet asking Makhachev not to leave the division after the fight. Moreover, when the pair fought for the first time, the story was very different. After losing to Makhachev in his debut UFC bout, Tsarukyan was severely heartbroken.
Arman Tsarukyan remembers being scared after losing to Islam MakhachevÂ
Arman Tsarukyan fought Islam Makhachev on short notice in his first-ever UFC bout back in 2019. Surprisingly, Tsarukyan did a great job and gave a challenging fight to the Dagestani. However, it wasn’t enough for the judges who scored the fight in favor of Makhachev.Â
Arman remembers his first loss against Islam Makhachev (via MMA Fighting)After the loss, Tsarukyan lost his spirit and was not sure about his future in the UFC. The fighter was concerned about being cut off by the promotion.
I lost to Islam and flew to Canada with no coaches. I felt nervous as I thought that if I’d lost, they would’ve removed me from the UFC – 0-2 in the UFC and my career is over. So I was scared of embarrassing myself
Arman Tsarukyan via Red Corner MMA YouTubeÂ
After that fight, Tsarukyan made his comeback and has since lost only one fight till now. Recently, he defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 to become the top contender in the lightweight division. While fans are excited to see the rematch, it would be interesting to see what the UFC have in their mind.Â
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