Islam Makhachev plans to finish Arman Tsarukayn in UFC 311 rematch
Today at 12:02 PM
In the first UFC pay-per-view event of 2025, lightweight champion Islam Makhachev headlines UFC 311 in a rematch against against top contender Arman Tsarukyan.
The two first fought at UFC Fight Night 149 in April 2019. It was Tsarukyan's promotional debut. Makhachev won via unanimous decision, winning all three rounds on two of the judges' scorecards. Nearly six years removed from their first fight, the two will rematch at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
"I knew five or six months ago that I'm going to fight with Arman because the he's the No. 1 contender right now. And he really deserves to fight for the title," Makhachev said in an interview with former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier.
Makhachev and Tsarukyan are different fighters than they were five years ago in their first fight. But Makhachev doesn't think Tsarukyan has evolved significantly.
"Of course improved. He has more experience, but same skills," Makhachev said. "He beat all these guys because they don't have wrestling. When someone has good wrestling skill he always has trouble."
In their first fight, Makhachev didn't know Tsarukyan or his skill set. In the rematch, he plans to finish the Armenian.
"[Tsarukyan] was one of the hardest fights, of course, but it's not the toughest fight because the five rounds with Volkanovski, it was crazy," Makhachev said. "It was heart rate more than 200, it's called, you know? But maybe I was underestimating [Tsarukyan] because he was short-notice, nobody knows him, and he don't have a name. I never watched his fight and he did well in that fight, but I like to finish the old questions.
"When I have the fight with Volkanovski, I told everybody I have to finish the questions and finish. That's why the second fight I will be looking for the finish and make everybody shut up."
"The first fight I don't know his background," Makhachev continued. "He defends my wrestling, he's tough, that's why he gave me a hard time. But now I know everything that he can do. … Charles, every round, almost finished [Tsarukyan]. Do some guillotine, do some triangle choke, everything very close, but I think I have more chance."
