Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker expects at least one title to remain in its current hands this weekend, backing Islam Makhachev to double his lead over Arman Tsarukyan.
Makhachev and Tsarukyan first collided back in 2019, with the latter making his debut at the UFC Fight Night event in Moscow. While he performed well, the Armenian was ultimately on the wrong end of a decision verdict.
Six years on, the pair have renewed hostilities in Los Angeles this week, as they gear up to headline Saturday’s UFC 311 pay-per-view with Makhachev’s lightweight gold on the line.
During a recent episode of his MMArcade Podcast, Whittaker gave his assessment of the first PPV main event of the new year.
While he acknowledged Tsarukyan’s moments of success in their first fight, he sees a clear “skill gap” that will pave the way for Makhachev’s successful defense of the 155-pound title.
”I just feel like if we look at Islam’s last fight with Dustin and we look at Arman’s last fight with Charles, I just feel like there’s a gap,” Whittaker said. “I feel like there’s a skill gap, and everyone’s saying like, how well Arman (did against Makhachev) — went in his debut short notice etc.
“But you look at the names, you look at the the level of fights, you look at the stage that Islam’s fights were set on, Islam’s in a really good place right now,” Whittaker continued. “I find it very hard to see him getting defeated.”
The grappling exchanges the first time they met
@MAKHACHEVMMA & @ArmanUFC meet again Saturday with a lot more on the line! #UFC311 pic.twitter.com/hSdmks9NFe
— UFC (@ufc) January 13, 2025
The Dagestani will hope to prove “The Reaper” right come fight night at Inglewood’s Intuit Dome on Jan. 18.
Should he do so, Makhachev will set a new record for most title fight wins and consecutive defenses in the UFC lightweight division, surpassing both Khabib Nurmagomedov and BJ Penn.