Islam Makhachev had some stern words for Arman Tsarukyan, who decided not to fight the lightweight champion at UFC 302. The Dagestan native claimed that ‘Ahalkalakets’ was afraid to fight him, which the Armenian star refuted. However, former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling sided with Tsarukyan and supported his decision to turn down the championship title bout.

In a recent interview, Islam Makhachaev claimed that Arman Tsarukyan did not want to fight him. When the Armenian star learned about those claims by the champion, he fired back by claiming that a 6-week turnaround would not favor him, which is something that even Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s protégé hasn’t done yet. As such, Tsarukyan doesn’t want to jeopardize his chance to win the lightweight strap, and Aljamain Sterling agrees with him.

Aljamain Sterling backs Arman Tsarukyan turning down the Islam Makhachev fight

A short-notice fight doesn’t help any fighter, according to Aljamain Sterling. The former bantamweight champion believes that risks are not worth taking when you’re a combat sports athlete, especially an MMA fighter in the UFC. He wants to see Arman Tsarukyan and Islam Makhachev prepare to the fullest and fight each other, which can only happen if Dustin Poirier fails to capitalize on his opportunity to become the undisputed champion.

“Short notice title fights are risky business. I think he’s making the right move. I rather see them at their best, with full camps, IF Dustin doesn’t score the upset in June. Exciting times,” Aljamain Sterling commented on an Instagram post.

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Sterling himself had to make a quick turnaround for his UFC 292 fight against Sean O’Malley in August 2023 after fighting Henry Cejudo at UFC 288 in May 2023. The former champion dropped the title to O’Malley after a KO loss and later said he should not have taken that quick turnaround.

However, there have been many fighters who’ve taken fights on short notice without any hesitation, like Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294. So why doesn’t Arman Tsarukyan follow the same route? Well, that’s because he already made a blunder in his first UFC fight.

Tsarukyan vs. Makhachev 1 – proof that Arman can beat the champ?

Arman Tsarukyan was 22 years old when he had his first UFC fight. Being a young up-and-comer, he accepted to compete in his first fight against Islam Makhachev in 2019 on short notice. Although he lost the fight via unanimous decision, his performance showed he belonged in the UFC.

Arman Tsarukyan went on to steadily build his record and has lost only once since then. The experience of taking a fight on short notice taught him that it is not his cup of tea, and in just six weeks, after fighting a former champion at UFC 300, he believes he made a wise decision by postponing the lightweight championship bout.

The Armenian has already proven he can hang in with the champion. The only thing he was missing last time was the preparation from a dedicated camp. Being the #1 contender at 155 lbs, Arman Tsarukyan should get the title shot against whoever wins the UFC 302 main event. But it will all depend on Dana White and how he wants to navigate the lightweight division.

With Max Holloway‘s BMF title-winning performance and Conor McGregor‘s return, the lightweight landscape is a hotbed of speculations and high-stakes matchups right now. So there is a chance that the UFC might opt for a more glamorous fight for the title holder and sideline Tsarukayn for a later date if the opportunity presents itself.

What do you make of Tsarukyan’s decision to reject the title shot after UFC 300? Let us know in the comments section.