Just weeks out from his UFC 311 title charge, Arman Tsarukyan has claimed the minute he entered the Octagon against current champion, Islam Makhachev in his 2019 debut, he knew his dream of becoming a promotional gold holder was no longer “impossible.
Tsarukyan, the current number one ranked lightweight challenger, earned himself a title fight rematch with the current pound-for-pound number one, Makhachev back in April on the main card of UFC 300.
Facing off with common-foe and former champion, Charles Oliveira in an officially-billed championship-eliminator, Tsarukyan would narrowly beat the Brazilian in a controversial split decision win over the course of three rounds.
Arman Tsarukyan reveals moment he knew UFC dream was possible
And slated to take main event honors next month at UFC 311 in a re-run with Makhachev, Armenian force, Tsarukyan has revealed that once he finally got the call to feature against the Russian at a ‘Fight Night’ billed card in St. Petersburg nearly five years ago, he knew he could actually achieve his dream of landing Octagon spoils.
“When I fought my last time in Russia, it wasn’t the UFC yet. My manager told me, “You’re going to get into the UFC soon.” Then, he called me three weeks before and said, “You got the fight in the UFC.” I said, “Okay, sign the contract.” Then he told me it was Islam Makhachev. I said, “Okay, even better,” Arman Tsarukyan told ESPN MMA during a recent interview ahead of UFC 311.
I was super excited because I was super young — 22 years old — and I wanted to win so badly,” Arman Tsarukyan explained. “That fight was the biggest dream of my life. When I was young, the UFC seemed super big for me, and I thought it was impossible to get there. But when I got there and started fighting, I understood I could be a champ.”