“It was one of the hardest fights, of course, but it’s not the toughest fight,” Islam Makhachev said about his first fight with Arman Tsarukyan back in 2019. Their rematch was supposed to be the ultimate test for the Dagestani champion, except the challenger stumbled before he even made it to the cage. According to a combat sports veteran, that prevented exposing one uncanny gap in Makhachev’s game.

The Dagestani wrestler with a background in combat sambo has always commanded a sharp Greco and freestyle profile. However, against Arman in only his debut, the Russian struggled to land takedowns before he attempted a shift in his strategy. Former Armenian UFC fighter Manny Gamburyan came clean on that Occam’s Razor fix.

Manny Gamburyan suggests a simple fix for compatriot Arman Tsarukyan

Speaking on the Jaxxon Podcast, alongside co-hosts Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and Bear Degidio, retired MMA fighter and multiple-time US National Judo Champion, Manny Gamburyan, broke down the minute details of the fight that most of us missed. “I guarantee you guys never realized that every time Islam took Arman down, it was judo. Islam can’t take Arman down with wrestling,” he explained.

While Gamburyan admits Makhachev’s impeccable and unfairly effective wrestling, he believes the equation shifts when Makhachev meets someone like Tsarukyan with a strong freestyle wrestling base. The Armenian brings explosive sprawls, intricate balance, and nonstop scrambles in his arsenal, everything to battle Makhachev’s wrestling, while leaving a completely vulnerable spot—judo.

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“If Arman ends up fighting with Islam, he needs to work on his judo,” Gamburyan advised. Further, he explained, “Islam is a great wrestler, and a great judo guy. Trust me, he knows judo. When I watch his clips, he does judo very well.” With Makhachev landing 4 takedowns out of his 9 attempts with 44% accuracy, this becomes a heavy reset in Tsarukyan’s game if he wants to challenge the Dagestani ever again.

But how do we know that Makhachev doesn’t leverage his sambo background and indeed engages in elite-level judo? In Gamburyan’s words, the difference is in the movement. In judo, there’s usually a gi lapel to grip, while wrestling or sambo takes underhooks and overhooks. Even in MMA, without the gi grips, hip positioning, and body weight management are key judo principles that Makhachev draws from.

To counter the throws and trips, Tsarukyan needs to revisit the basics of judo and rebuild his arsenal from the ground up, while incorporating elements of anti-wrestling, such as sprawls and scrambles. While not as easy as it sounds, especially against a marquee fighter like Makhachev, Tsarukyan landing a takedown in their first fight proves that even Makhachev is not invincible.

However, those discussions might as well come to an end after Arman Tsarukyan was snubbed of his deserved title shot.

Arman Tsarukyan is removed from the UFC title fight scene

The Armenian fighter put on a masterclass in pressure-pacing in his bout against Dan Hooker in Qatar, which he believed to be enough to catapult him to the title fight scene. UFC boss Dana White could not say the same, and that became clearer after White announced a drab interim LW fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett for UFC 324, snubbing the rightful contender.

While some accused the CEO of having personal grudges with the fighter, which he strictly denied, the real reason dates back to earlier this year when Tsarukyan unreliably pulled out of his title shot against Islam Makhachev. Ever since, White has stood his ground on ‘Ahalkalakets’, having to work his way up, instead of a direct shot at the title.

With most fighters booked for the next year, Tsarukyan finds himself looking down the rankings, with Dan Hooker agreeing to a rematch. The 29 YO himself, however, is not content with a duology, and is instead looking to reassert his dominance up the ladder. In an attempt, ‘Ahalkalakets’ has agreed to take up a fight at UFC 324 on as little as 5 days’ notice.

“Even if it’s 10 days before or 5 days, I’ll be accepting the fight. I’ll have my weight checked and be in shape. I’ll train, spar, and I’ll try not to get injured when I’m sparring. But I will push myself,” shared the Armenian. Do you agree that Arman Tsarukyan was unfairly denied a title shot, or should he prove himself once again before facing Ilia Topuria? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.