Surging lightweight contender, Arman Tsarukyan has vowed to prevail in a future rematch against undisputed champion, Islam Makhachev – claiming a re-run with the Russian would be a “very easy” fight for him, after his viewing of UFC 302.
Tsarukyan, the current number one ranked divisional contender, has been sidelined since April, turning in a close split decision win over former champion and common-foe, Charles Oliveira in the pair’s officially billed title eliminator.
And immediately turning down a UFC 302 title fight with Makhachev on short-notice, Tsarukyan admitted he would lay in wait for his shot at the American kickboxing Academy staple who would go on to headline the same event.
Successfully defending his divisional title for the third time, Makhachev wrapped up an eventual fifth round D’Arce choke win Dustin Poirier – with fellow American Top Team ace, Tsarukyan claiming his stablemate simply “gave up” in his title fight defeat.
Arman Tsarukyan expects “easy” rematch with Islam Makhachev
And staking his claim for a shot at Makhachev – who admittedly has an eye on a jump to the welterweight class, Tsarukyan claims if the same champion who showed up against Poirier faces off with him in a rematch, he would land the title rather easily.
“It would be a very easy fight for me,” Arman Tsarukyan told MMA Fighting of a rematch with Islam Makhachev. “I could out-wrestle him that fight as well, because he got tired. When you’re tired, you can’t do sh*t. Even if you have the best skills in the world, if you’re tired, you’re done.”
“All his five round fights he got tired as well,” Arman Tsarukyan explained. “He got tired versus (Alexander) Volkanovski, he got tired versus Dustin (Poirier). Hopefully that’s going to be my key to win this fight, because of my cardio.”
Facing off with Makhachev in a short-notice promotional debut back in 2019 in St. Petersburg, Russia – Tsarukyan suffered a unanimous decision defeat to the former.
Who wins in a future lightweight title rematch: Islam Makahchev or Arman Tsarukyan?