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UFC 311: Arman Tsarukyan Teases ‘One Trick’ That Will Make The Difference Against Islam Makhachev

Arman Tsarukyan seemingly has a special weapon ready to bring out when he challenges for Islam Makhachev’s lightweight title at UFC 311. Tsarukyan will have his first shot at gold on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage next weekend, when he headlines the first pay-per-view of the new year opposite Makhachev. The pair will run it […]

Arman Tsarukyan seemingly has a special weapon ready to bring out when he challenges for Islam Makhachev’s lightweight title at UFC 311.

Tsarukyan will have his first shot at gold on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage next weekend, when he headlines the first pay-per-view of the new year opposite Makhachev.

The pair will run it back almost six years on from their first showdown, a three-round clash at a UFC Fight Night in Moscow that went the distance and was won by the current champ.

During a fight camp video uploaded to the Red Corner MMA YouTube channel, Tsarukyan explained how he plans on securing a different outcome against the Dagestani second time around.

“Of course, I’ve got one trick prepared that I believe in,” Tsarukyan said. “I know it will work. And it will change the whole course of the fight.”

The rematch between Makhachev and Tsarukyan headlines the Jan. 18 card inside Inglewood’s Intuit Dome, with Merab Dvalishvili’s first bantamweight defense opposite Umar Nurmagomedov marking the other title fight on the lineup.

Elsewhere, the likes of Ji?í Procházka, Renato Moicano, Kevin Holland, Johnny Walker, Payton Talbott and Jailton Almeida will look to kick off their year in style.

UFC 311: Arman Tsarukyan Reveals Islam Makhachev’s Supportive Words After Defeat In First Fight

On April 20 in 2019, Arman Tsarukyan would suffer just the second loss of his pro career at the time when he stepped into his UFC debut on short notice. Little did he know that six years later, at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, he would get the opportunity to earn his revenge against […]

The top contender in the lightweight division will face Islam Makhachev for the 155-pound title in the main event of UFC 311 in their second encounter. Despite their history with one another, and Tsarukyan’s pursuit of his former foe up the division’s rankings, there isn’t any bad blood between them in the build-up to January 18.

In fact, Tsarukyan recently revealed that the current lightweight champion game him plenty of praise and encouragement in the immediate aftermath of their first contest in Russia. The Armenian may have lost the fight but he was able to impress a lot of people with his performance after he was able to really test one of the most highly regarded rising contenders in the division over three rounds.

It seems that it wasn’t just fans that came away with good things to say about the lightweight division’s newest arrival. The challenger spoke in a video put out by Red Corner MMA about how Makhachev consoled him after he was devastated to have lost his UFC debut.

“Yes, of course I do. After the battle, he supported me and said, ‘You’re still young. Everything is ahead of you. Don’t be upset.’ And I was like, ‘I’m not that young,’ fell down, well, sat down and covered my eyes. Yes, I never liked losing, no matter how young I was.”

Is Umar Nurmagomedov Injured Heading into UFC 311 Title Fight?

Is Umar Nurmagomedov going into his first UFC title fight injured? According to DraftKings, the undefeated Dagestani is a…

Is Umar Nurmagomedov going into his first UFC title fight injured?

According to DraftKings, the undefeated Dagestani is a more than three-to-one favorite to defeat reigning and defending bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili when the two co-headline UFC 311 inside the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles on January 18. However, after Nurmagomedov’s latest admission, it might be worth it to drop a few bucks on ‘The Machine’ to succeed in his first title defense.

During a recent interview with the UFC, Nurmagomdeov revealed that he had broken his arm while training.

“After I was in Dagestan, I punch my arm. I go to show the doctor, you know, and I show them. They [do] like not [an] MRI [but] [what do you call it] when they check bone? They did X-ray and they said, ‘You broke [your arm].’ You know after that, after 20 days I go again even when I was broken, I was running. I want to still be in shape, you know.

“Even that time I try run, try to try to do shadow boxing, you know try to be in shape. And after 20 days I go again, and it’s become much better.”

Nurmagomedov didn’t elaborate on the extent of the injury, but even a hairline fracture takes six to eight weeks to heal.

Dvalishvili Insists Umar Nurmagomedov hasn’t earned his title shot

Nurmagomdeov, 18-0, earned his shot at the 135-pound crown with a dominant decision victory over Cory Sandhagen over the summer. That skyrocketed him from the bottom of the rankings to the No. 2 spot — much to the chagrin of Dvalishvili who has criticized the UFC for giving Nurmagomedov a title opportunity despite his blatant lack of wins in the top 15.

“Umar is a skilled fighter, but it’s a huge challenge, and he hasn’t earned it like the rest of us,” Dvalishvili said of his first challenger.

Dvalishvili claimed the bantamweight belt in September when he handily defeated ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley at UFC 306 inside Sphere in Las Vegas.

Umar Nurmagomedov Accuses Merab Dvalishvili Of Seeking Easy Opponents Ahead Of UFC 311 Clash

Umar Nurmagomedov believes Merab Dvalishvili selectively targets opponents he deems less challenging. Nurmagomedov is gearing up to challenge reigning bantamweight champion Dvalishvili in the co-main event of UFC 311, scheduled for Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. “The Young Eagle” has been on a relentless quest for his first title opportunity since […]

Umar Nurmagomedov believes Merab Dvalishvili selectively targets opponents he deems less challenging.

Nurmagomedov is gearing up to challenge reigning bantamweight champion Dvalishvili in the co-main event of UFC 311, scheduled for Jan. 18 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

“The Young Eagle” has been on a relentless quest for his first title opportunity since his dominant unanimous decision victory over Cory Sandhagen at UFC Abu Dhabi in August 2024. However, Dvalishvili has appeared hesitant to put his belt on the line against Nurmagomedov ever since claiming the championship at UFC 306.

“The Machine” initially refuted claims that the undefeated Dagestani deserves a title shot, advocating instead for rematches with familiar foes like Sean O’Malley and Petr Yan. He even went further, suggesting that former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo is a more deserving challenger for the 135-pound crown.

This led to widespread speculation among fans and pundits, with many accusing Dvalishvili of avoiding Nurmagomedov out of fear. Now that the fight has been officially scheduled, “The Young Eagle” has dismissed these claims as unfounded.

During a recent UFC interview (via MMA Fighting), Nurmagomedov accused Dvalishvili of cherry-picking low-risk opponents to safeguard his record and earn easy paydays. He emphasized that facing him would present an entirely different challenge.

“I think he just wants to fight with a guy who [he] can beat,” Nurmagomedov said. “It does not mean I 100 percent go inside the cage and smash him. No. He knows, other guys, he will beat [them]. Me? It’s going to be hard. That’s why he tried to be champion a long time. He wants to fight with O’Malley or with Petr Yan or someone else because he knows these guys, easy money. Me? Not.

“What I know, what I understand, he does not [want a] risky fight. He can beat me; it can happen. It’s not going to break me. I will be the same Umar. Fighting is fighting. Everybody can lose, everybody can win. We’re not talking about what’s going to happen in the fight. If we’re talking about scared, I think he just wants to take [less] risk.”

Nurmagomedov is on an impressive six-fight win streak in the UFC since making his debut in January 2021.

Meanwhile, “The Machine” extended his remarkable unbeaten run to 11 straight victories after claiming the bantamweight title with a dominant win over Sean O’Malley in September 2024.

Read More: Deiveson Figueiredo Explains How Merab Dvalishvili Can Defeat Umar Nurmagomedov At UFC 311

Islam Makhachev’s Training Partners Have To Be ‘Helped Emotionally’, Claims Manager

When Khabib Nurmagomedov made the decision to retire and vacate the UFC lightweight title, it meant that his teammate, Islam Makhachev, would get his time to shine. Following the title reign of Charles Oliveira that took place in-between, Makhachev ascended to the throne and he now sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings. Makhachev was always a […]

Makhachev was always a highly regarded competitor but he seems to make visual improvements each and every time that he steps inside the Octagon. A big reason for that and his consistency is because like his training partner and coach, he has an incredible work ethic and drive.

Fans have seen glimpses and heard stories about how hard Khabib works his team in the gym now that he’s leading the practices. With Makhachev set to headline UFC 311 on January 18 in a rematch with Arman Tsarukyan and Umar Nurmagomedov challenging for the bantamweight title in the co-main event, this has been no different during their residency at the UFC PI in Las Vegas.

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Dominance MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz provided some insight regarding the kind of cycle that Makhachev puts his training partners through on a daily basis. He said that fighters have to take rest days after going head-to-head with the lightweight champion and that has only continued to grow in recent times.

“Listen, we have to give his training partners days off from training for them to be ready for sparring day. Seriously. We have to help guys emotionally… I grappled with him the other day and I was like, ‘What the hell am I doing?’ I can hold my own against anybody in grappling, somebody my size. But I felt like I was a little kid playing with a bear. This is how I felt. I was like, ‘There’s no sense in me even training with this guy ever again.’ In a way I felt bad, because I’m a man. But in reality, I felt so confident, how good [Makhachev] is.”

Former Opponent Reveals What Arman Tsarukyan Can Take From First Makhachev Fight

On January 18, Arman Tsarukyan will finally get an opportunity that he has been chasing for a long time. The #1-ranked contender will not only get the chance to challenge for the lightweight title in the main event of UFC 311 but he has the possibility of avenging one of his only losses in the […]

Tsarukyan debuted in the UFC back in April of 2019 where he stepped in on short notice to face Islam Makhachev in Russia. He didn’t get his hand raised on that occasion but in a fight of the night winning contest, he showed that he was a serious player in the 155-pound division.

Makhachev’s success after that fight only made Tsarukyan’s debut performance against him even more impressive but now he gets the chance to run it back with the man who handed him the second defeat of his career. In a recent interview with Inside Fighting, Beneil Dariush gave his thoughts on the matchup.

Dariush faced Tsarukyan in December of 2023 where he was caught early on by a huge right hand that ended the contest in just over a minute. He believes that if there’s anything that the challenger needs to take from his first meeting with the current champion, it’s that same hunger and aggression.

He thinks that Tsarukyan’s best chance of winning the fight is by being on the front foot early on which is where he had success against both Makhachev and Dariush in the past.

“It was so long ago. I think if you look at Arman’s mentality in that fight, that’s the right mentality. Take the fight to him, right. I think that’s what he should do. So I think that he could take that from that fight as like, ‘Hey, when I took the fight to him, I won’. I want to say people, was it the first round that he won according the judges? He went out there and he want hard, you know. He went after him in the first round so I think that’s something he could do.”