At UFC 311, Arman Tsarukyan will compete in his first UFC title fight since he debuted with the promotion back in 2019.
That fight was a late notice call-up to face Islam Makhachev in Russia and six years later in Los Angeles, they will run it back.
Many have believed for a long time now that Tsarukyan would be the toughest test out there for the current champion based on his skillset and their previous encounter.
The Armenian has come a long way since his first outing inside the Octagon but so has Makhachev who is currently regarded as the pound-for-pound number one fighter in the sport.
His next challenger, however, believes that some of the hype surrounding Makhachev isn't justified based on what he has seen and felt:
“He’s not that good like people think,” Tsarukyan told ESPN in a recent interview. "People think he’s unbeatable, like crazy wrestling, but like I took him down when I was 22 years old.”
Tsarukyan believes that it isn't just his well-rounded game that will cause the champion problems, it's his drive to finally reach the top of the division.
He's coming into January 18 with the belief that this will be his moment to finally prove that he's the best 155-pound fighter in the world today.
“First of all, I know how to wrestle very well,” Tsarukyan said. “Second, I’m young and hungry. I’ve never had the belt, so it drives me very well. I have a lot of energy for the trainings and I believe I’m the guy who’s going to beat him. But the most important thing is that I’m very hungry. I want that belt so much. It’s a dream. When I got in the UFC, I was thinking about that. I’ve been thinking about it for five years."
Watch the full interview below:
