This past Saturday in the main event of UFC 311, we saw a lightweight title fight but it wasn’t the lightweight title fight we were supposed to see. We were supposed to see a rematch between the champion Islam Makhachev (27-1) and top contender Arman Tsarukyan (22-3).
These two first fought in 2019 with Makhachev picking up the competitive decision win. Tsarukyan had gone on an impressive stretch to separate himself as the number one contender and earn a rematch with Makhachev for the lightweight title. The week was going as planned and Tsarukyan was at the pre-fight press conference on Thursday.
However, overnight during his weight cut, disaster struck. Tsarukyan re-aggravated a back injury he had suffered and he couldn’t move. UFC brass and doctors came in to see him and Tsarukyan said that he wouldn’t be able to move forward with the fight. Renato Moicano stepped in on short notice and got the opportunity that Tsarukyan had earned.
What’s next after UFC 311?
Many people including myself felt that Tsarukyan would likely get the next shot at Makhachev once he heals up. However, UFC CEO Dana White made it clear that Tsarukyan would not be getting the next shot. White said in the post-fight press conference that Tsarukyan would have to earn another shot after missing this opportunity.
Tsarukyan told Ariel Helwani yesterday that he wasn’t upset and understood where White was coming from. He also wondered if a doctor had told White that Tsarukyan could’ve gone through with the fight and just chose not to. Nevertheless, Arman Tsarukyan said that he knows he has to re-earn his UFC title shot and that’s what he’s prepared to do.
With that, what should be next for him? Tsarukyan expressed interest in having a five-round fight with Charles Oliveira. Tsarukyan narrowly beat Oliveira in a three-round fight at UFC 300 to earn his lightweight title shot. Oliveira is being looked at as the next title challenger, but Do Bronx wants to fight over the summer and Makhachev might not return until October’s Abu Dhabi PPV.
If that’s the case a summer showdown with Tsarukyan makes a lot of sense, but Oliveira has also expressed interest in a BMF title fight with Max Holloway who recently moved up to lightweight. I think the UFC might go in that direction if I’m being honest.
Michael Chandler has been banging the drum to fight Tsarukyan and Tsarukyan said that if the promotion wants to do that fight, he’s willing to do it. I will say, he’s having a great attitude about this whole thing and he knows he needs to earn back his spot. If he doesn’t get a quick fight, I would potentially look at the winner of the March fight between Justin Gaethje and Dan Hooker as another possibility.