'He's More Well-Rounded Than Khabib'
Yesterday at 06:00 PM
The comparisons will never stop.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan fights for the 155 lb championship for the first time at UFC 311 this weekend (Sat., Jan. 18, 2024) as he takes on Lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev from inside the brand-new Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California.
For as long as Makhachev has been fighting inside UFC, there have been comparisons between him and his long-time training partner-turned-coach Khabib Nurmagomedov, and this week is no different.
Today at UFC 311 media day, Tsarukyan explained the difference between the two Dagastani fighters.
"If you beat Islam, then you beat Khabib's gameplan," Tsarukyan told TNT Sports. "Islam is a new version of Khabib; he's more well-rounded than Khabib. But Khabib had better wrestling, and his ground and pound is way better. On the ground, Khabib is one of the best."
Tsarukyan isn't the first fighter to say Makhachev is better than the retired, undefeated former UFC Lightweight champion. Most fighters believe Makhachev was molded to be better than Nurmagomedov and have shared stories about his skills (like this).
Back in 2021, Javier Mendez, who coached both Russian fighters, also compared them and revealed that Makhachev has better throws, but Numagomedov was meaner.
Fighting aside, at UFC 311, Makhachev has the chance to pass Nurmagomedov in history by becoming the all-time leader for Lightweight title fight wins (5).
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 311 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+/ESPNEWS "Prelims" matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 311: "Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan 2" news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
