Arman Tsarukyan slams Islam Makhachev after comments about avoiding rematch: “When was the last time you fought 2 times in 6 weeks?
Arman Tsarukyan isn’t happy with UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
The Armenian fighter is fresh off his return at UFC 300 against Charles Oliveira. There, the two lightweights competed in a title eliminator of sorts, and put on a show. After three rounds of action, it was Arman Tsarukyan who emerged with a split-decision victory over ‘Do Bronx’. In the process, he earned a shot at Islam Makhachev.
Backstage at UFC 300, Arman Tsarukyan got the offer to fight the champion much sooner than expected. Before Dana White gave his post-event process conference, they offered the contender a fight against Islam Makhachev for June. Tsarukyan rejected the bout, citing the short notice of the fight. As a result, the title shot instead went to Dustin Poirier.
For Islam Makhachev, Arman Tsarukyan’s decision to reject the fight wasn’t a shock. Earlier this week, the UFC lightweight champion gave an interview, where he was asked about the Armenian fighter. In the interview, Makhachev largely laughed off Tsarukyan and alleged that he had rejected a fight against him on four different occasions.
(via Zuffa LLC)
Arman Tsarukyan responded to UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev
Not long after Islam Makhachev’s comments, Arman Tsarukyan responded. Taking to X, the lightweight contender accused the champion of lying about rejecting any fight prior to UFC 302. Tsarukyan added that the only way Makhachev would fight him again is if he had an extra advantage.
“That’s just not truth.” Arman Tsarukyan responded to Islam Makhachev’s comments in a post on X. “The truth is that you want to fight me on short notice to have an extra advantage. It won’t happen again though. When was the last time you fought 2 times in 6 weeks? @MAKHACHEVMMA”
While Islam Makhachev isn’t expected to fight Arman Tsarukyan next, it seems that the two are on a collision course. Whenever the two meet again, it will be a rematch of their prior meeting in April 2019. That fight was Tsarukyan’s debut in the UFC, and he had a fair bit of success against the future champion.
Still, it was Islam Makhachev who emerged with a unanimous decision victory that night. Five years later, it seems that the two lightweights are on a course to rematch. However, this time around, UFC gold will be on the line.
What do you make of these comments from the UFC lightweight contender? Do you want to see Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan 2 later this year?
