Arman Tsarukyan strangely suggests he's not '100% invested in MMA' days out from UFC 311 title fight
01/05/2025 10:47 AM
Just a few weeks out from his UFC lightweight title fight at UFC 311, Arman Tsarukyan has bizarrely admitted that he is not 100% committed to MMA.
On January 18, Islam Makhachev will defend his lightweight title in a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan, six years in the making.
When they first met in Russia in 2019, ‘Ahalkalakets’ was coming in on short notice to take on Makhachev who was on a four-fight win streak and making his way towards the 155lb rankings.
Arman Tsarukyan suggests he’s not ‘100% invested in MMA’ despite title fight
After losing a unanimous decision to the Russian, the 28-year-old went on to pick up five wins before a controversial loss to Mateusz Gamrot. He then followed that up with another four-fight win streak.
This past April at UFC 300, Tsarukyan picked up the biggest win of his career thus far against former champion, Charles Oliveira, earning himself a title shot and a rematch against Makhachev.
He now finds himself just a few weeks out from his title fight at UFC 311 and ahead of that, he has made a strange admission that despite his success, he is not ‘100% invested in MMA’.
In a video posted to his YouTube channel showing him preparing for his fight at Mount Elbrus in Russia, when he usually trains at AT&T in America, Tsarukyan was reminded of that admission by a friend.
“You told us yourself that you aren’t 100% invested in MMA and that there are a lot of guys out there who work harder and yet, you are one step away from becoming the best lightweight on the planet. Have you ever asked yourself ‘What if I was 100% invested in MMA?’,” his friend asked.
“Well, now we will see. The title fight will show if a man who is not 100% invested in this business can still make it,” Tsarukyan responded.
Islam Makhachev could make UFC history with a win at UFC 311
With his successful title defense against Dustin Poirier in June, the Russian equaled the record for the most amount of title defenses in the lightweight division.
He, Khabib Nurmagomedov, BJ Penn, and Benson Henderson are all tied at the moment with three title defenses each, but Makhachev has the advantage of still being in his prime.
Despite that, the 33-year-old has already heavily hinted at a potential move up to the welterweight division to chase champ champ status as he wants to cement himself as an all-time great in the sport.
