“He [Islam Makhachev] just told me, ‘Go forward. Attack him, that’s it.’ No extra tips — it’s what we always do,” said Makkasharip Zaynukov before locking horns with Arman Tsarukyan. Confident in his wrestling, the Team Khabib fighter believed he could control the pace. But reality hit hard at Karate Combat 54, as the elusive ‘Akhalkalakets’ toyed with him before landing the death blow. Navigating through Team Khabib’s blueprint with ease, Tsarukyan sent a chilling message — he’s ready for Islam Makhachev. And with Khamzat Chimaev nodding in approval, the path was all but set.

Arman Tsarukyan locked horns against Makkasharip Zaynukov in the 175-pound grappling match at Karate Combat 54 in Dubai. The Armenian opened aggressively with a single-leg attempt against the pit wall, however, his attack was thwarted by Zaynukov, who successfully defended it. The rest of the match saw both men locked in a tactical stalemate with minimal takedown success. Tsarukyan pushed for another single-leg in round two, but he was briefly countered by Zaynukov.

As the match ended, the judges awarded both rounds to Tsarukyan, making a third round unnecessary. After the fight, he apologized for the uneventful bout. During a conversation with the commentator, Tsarukyan hinted at a potential clash with Islam Makhachev. “I need one more guy from khabib’s team, let’s do it again.” Interestingly, Khamzat Chimaev gave his nod to the battle as well. How? Well, the middleweight contender took to his Instagram handle to share Tsarukyan’s victory with a gold medal emoji.

Well, for the unreserved, Tsarukyan was supposed to fight Islam Makhachev at UFC 311, however, he pulled out of the match at the very last minute, which forced the UFC to call Renato Moicano to take his place. After that fiasco, Dana White emphasized that he would not give Tsarukyan another immediate shot at the title and that he would have to climb the ladder once again.

However, following UFC 311, the entire lightweight division was thrown into limbo when Ilia Topuria relinquished his featherweight title and made the jump to 155 pounds to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight crown. Still, Team Khabib had one message for him: he would have to defeat a top contender in the division before earning a title shot.

Charles Oliveira also called out the lightweight champion for a fight, and even Justin Gaethje is demanding a title fight after defeating Rafael Fiziev. The lightweight division has too many contenders, and Makhachev will eventually have to choose among them. However, it appears that Ilia Topuria would be the UFC’s first choice to face Makhachev, for obvious reasons.

Fans react as Arman Tsarukyan hints at a potential clash against Islam Makhachev

As of May, Arman Tsarukyan stands at number one in the lightweight rankings. However, his path to a title fight may not be so straightforward. Dana White has publicly stated, “He’s not getting a title shot. That means he’s going to have to fight his way back to the title.” Tsarukyan has clearly angered the UFC CEO, and despite being at the top, he now has to climb the ladder once again. In response to this, one fan wrote: “Should have called for a title shot.” Furthermore, another fan shared the same mutual feeling, “Fight Islam in the UFC please, Arman.” 

Another fan added, “Armans cool but he really messed up the division with that pullout.” Did Arman Tsarukyan’s pullout mess up the lightweight timeline? It certainly did, as he was the frontrunner to strip Islam Makhachev of the title. However, since he pulled out of his fight, Ilia Topuria entered the lightweight division, making the title equation much more complex.

Furthermore, another fan emphasized, “Ilia gonna fk this dude up.” Interestingly, a fight between Topuria and Tsaukyan might be cooking. “If Belal loses, Makhachev will fight Jack Della Maddalena, and I will fight for the vacant title against Topuria,” said Tsaukyan when asked about his fate in the lightweight division.

According to the official sources, Arman Tsarukyan pulled out of his fight against Islam Makhachev due to a severe lower back injury, but other unconfirmed sources state that he was overweight, which is why the UFC halted his fight against the champ. Looking at this, a fan stated, “You just had to make weight.”

Last but not least, a fan expressed his thoughts on Tsarukyan’s career, “Nobody cares about arman rn. He needs to remind people he’s top 3 in 155.”

With the lightweight division currently in limbo, Arman Tsarukyan’s callout could prove to be pivotal. What are your thoughts on all the buzz? Share your opinions in the comments below.