Arman Tsarukyan: The Journey from UFC Debut to Title Contender

The Challenging Start of Arman Tsarukyan in the UFC

Arman Tsarukyan, an Armenian MMA fighter, made his UFC debut in 2019, facing off against Islam Makhachev in his first fight. Tsarukyan recognized that he needed to give his all to become a lightweight champion. Five years later, both fighters are preparing for a rematch for the ‘155 lbs’ title.

The Road to Championship

Following an impressive victory over Charles Oliveira at UFC 300, Tsarukyan became the number one contender for the title and is expected to meet Makhachev later this year. However, an injury to Makhachev during his title defense against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 has postponed the fight. Makhachev’s return remains uncertain, and Tsarukyan has expressed his desire not to wait any longer.

Eager to Compete

In an interview with MMAJunkie, Tsarukyan expressed his dissatisfaction with the delay in his title shot. He stated, “We were scheduled to fight in December, but now they’ve informed me that I will start early next year. I hope the fight takes place in January or February.” Tsarukyan affirmed that he wants to compete right now and defend the title next year.

Ready for Multiple Showdowns

Upon learning about Makhachev’s injury, Tsarukyan reached out to Dana White to request a fight by the end of the year, but the UFC CEO seems to be waiting for the super fight. Despite the disparity in their records, Tsarukyan believes he can defeat Makhachev and is ready to face him multiple times after winning the title.

Views on the P4P Ranking

Tsarukyan also stated that Makhachev does not deserve the number one spot in the pound-for-pound (P4P) rankings and emphasized that Jon Jones is the true legend in MMA. He believes that if Jones defeats Stipe Miocic in the upcoming fight, he should hold the number one position.