Athletes
Islam Makhachev Wants To Eliminate All Doubt
Undisputed UFC Lightweight Champion Wants To Leave No Doubts Over His Greatness As He Prepares To Rematch Top Contender Arman Tsarukyan At UFC 311
*Update: Due to medical issues, non-weight cut related, Arman Tsarukyan was removed from his fight with Islam Makhachev. Replacing Tsarukyan in the main event will be Renato Moicano. As a result, Beneil Dariush was removed from the card.*
From the moment he entered the UFC, Islam Makhachev has been looking to prove that he’s the best in the world.
And, with the 33-year-old Russian phenom sitting on top of the UFC’s lightweight division and the pound-for-pound rankings, you’d be forgiven for thinking that he’s successfully made his case.
Order UFC 311: Makhachev vs Moicano
But the world of mixed martial arts is always turning, and there’s always another challenge around the corner. For Makhachev, that next test will see him face a familiar foe, with Armenian contender Arman Tsarukyan set to challenge him for the undisputed lightweight title in the main event of UFC 311 in Inglewood, California.
The bout will see the pair face off in a rematch nearly five years on from their first meeting in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 2019. Makhachev was competing in his seventh UFC fight that day, and claimed the unanimous decision victory over Tsarukyan, who had stepped in to face Makhachev on short notice for his Octagon debut.
Makhachev claimed the win on that occasion, but it was a hard-fought victory against a gritty debutant. Looking back at the fight, Makhachev admits it was one of the toughest tests of his career.
“It was one of the hardest fights, of course, but it's not the toughest fight, because of the five rounds with (Alexander) Volkanovski – that was crazy.
“Maybe I was underestimating (Tsarukyan) because it was short notice. Nobody knew him, he didn’t have a name, and I’d never watched him fight. And he did well in that fight.”
Since then, Makhachev fought his way to the top of the world at 155 pounds, and now sits as the clear undisputed king of the lightweight division. Even a pair of back-to-back challenges from then-featherweight champion and fellow pound-for-pound star Volkanovski couldn’t budge Makhachev from the top of the division.
Islam Makhachev Talks With Daniel Cormier | UFC 311
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Islam Makhachev Talks With Daniel Cormier | UFC 311
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His most recent outing saw him face former interim champion Dustin Poirier, who Makhachev already knew well from “The Diamond’s” UFC 242 loss to his mentor and coach, former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“Dustin improved his wrestling game a lot, because he always had trouble with fighters who have good wrestling skills,” he explained.
“That's why I think he did a good job in his camp. He improved his defense and he gave me a hard time. It was hard, but it's a very good fight for the fans, and a big experience for me, also.
“Everybody expected that I would smash Dustin, but this guy is a high-level fighter. It’s not easy to finish someone, but in the press conference we had a good discussion. He said ‘I will make you sleep. I will knock you out.’ But I told him, ‘If you don’t tap, I will make you sleep.’ And I finished him.”
That fifth-round D’Arce choke of Poirier at UFC 302 extended Makhachev’s win streak to 14, and completed a hat trick of title defenses since he won the title at UFC 280 back in October 2022.
Now Makhachev faces another rematch as he takes on a surging Tsarukyan, who earned his shot at the title by winning nine of his last 10, including a first-round knockout of Beneil Dariush and a split decision win over former champion Charles Oliveira in his last two fights.
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“Honestly, I knew, like five-six months ago it was gonna be Arman, because he’s the number-one contender right now, and he really deserves to fight for the title,” he said.
“I’ve said all my fight career, I want to fight with a real contender, or a real fighter who deserves a title fight. That's why I think he's deserved (his shot).
Full Fight | Islam Makhachev vs Dustin Poirier
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Full Fight | Islam Makhachev vs Dustin Poirier
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“It's gonna be a huge fight for the fans, because he has all the skills. He’s good in the striking, he’s good in the wrestling, the grappling. That’s why it’s going to be two high-level fighters fighting.”
The fight also puts Makhachev in his second rematch in his last three fights. Despite admitting that he’s not a fan of rematches in general, he said that he’s learned to enjoy them because his opponents are much more of a known quantity.
TSARUKYAN: Sit-Down Interview | A Rematch Five Years In The Making
“Honestly, I like to fight for the second time because, when I fight someone for the second time, I know everything that my opponent can do, and it’s not going to be a surprise for me,” he said.
“But sometimes, when somebody like Dustin defends the wrestling, and he defends my submission skills, it was a little bit surprising. But when I know everything that my opponent will do, I have more options.”
Tsarukyan brought that element of surprise in his first bout with Makhachev, but that first fight, coupled with the challenger’s 10 fights since, gives the defending champion more than enough experience, and tape, to lean on when preparing to face him in the rematch.
“The first fight, he defended my wrestling. He’s tough, that’s why he gave me a hard time,” he said.
“But now I know everything that he can do.”
MORE UFC 311: Umar Nurmagomedov Previews First Title Shot
Makhachev also said that knowledge of Tsarukyan includes information on not just how to beat him, but how to finish him. Charles Oliveira came close in his loss to Tsarukyan, but Makhachev is confident that, where Oliveira failed at UFC 300, he can succeed at UFC 211.
“I think so, yes,” he said.
“Charles, every round, almost finished him. Did some guillotines, did some triangle chokes. Everything was very close, but I think I have more chance (to finish him).”
For Makhachev, this fight isn’t just about retaining his title, it’s about distancing himself from the pack and answering all the remaining questions about his credentials as the UFC’s lightweight champion, and his pound-for-pound number-one ranking.
“I like to finish the old questions,” he said.
“When I fought Volkanovski, I told everybody I have to finish the questions and finish him. That’s why, with the second fight, I was looking for the finish, to make everybody shut up.”
If things go to plan for Makhachev on January 18, there won’t be too many more questions left to answer at 155 pounds, and he hinted that he could consider a move up to welterweight in a bid to win a title in a second weight class.
“After Arman, if I beat him, I don't know. I'm tired of giving somebody a rematch,” he admitted.
“I need a second belt. Belal (Muhammad) is there. We’ll see. There’s a lot of good fighters (at welterweight).”
UFC 311: Makhachev vs Moicano took place live from Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California on January 18, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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