Finally a worthy opponent for Islam Makhachev? Arman Tsarukyan is coming off wins against names like Beneil Dariush and Charles Oliveria; he has a good ground game too. Though his five submission wins are nothing compared to the UFC lightweight champion’s 12, the upcoming UFC 311 could turn out to be a wrestling war! But let us not forget that they fought previously.

UFC Fight Night 14 in 2019 witnessed both the fighters scramble and try to take each other down. It was highly technical. While fans expect to see a similar display, we also can’t help but wonder what new aspect will either of the fighters bring to the Octagon. Well, Arman Tsarukyan just shared something that will blow your mind away.

The UFC fighter uploaded a training clip on his Instagram stories. Before it could expire, Xcellent MMA shared it on their IG account and that garnered a lot of attention from combat fans.

His ability to twist and stretch with ease could give him an edge in grappling exchanges. Imagine trying to hold someone down in a dominant position, only for them to slip and bend out of it like it is nothing. Well, Tsarukyan’s clip showed his potential to pull off something like this.

Ahalkalakets’ flexibility could definitely throw off his opponents. And with Islam Makhachev’s wrestling being such a big part of his success, this could be an interesting test for the champ. But what did fans have to as about this?

Can Arman’s flexibility prove difficult for Islam Makhachev? Fans debate!

Just weeks out from UFC 311, the buzz for 2025’s first PPV is off the roof. The main event will see Islam Makhachev defending his 155lbs gold against Arman Tsarukyan in a banger of a rematch. And the MMA community has gladly hopped onto the bandwagon of excitement to witness this. Let us not forget that their previous fight was a unanimous decision loss for Tsarukyan. Makhachev was unable to finish him.

So, a couple of fans, after seeing Tsarukyan’s insane flexibility, thought it could aid the fighter in becoming the new UFC lightweight champion. Here’s what fans mentioned:

• “That explains his flexibility in his fights, and why he can chain wrestle so good.”
• “Ok, this might be a problem for Islam’s grappling game.”

With flexibility like this, the Armenian could have the ability to escape tricky situations and make Makhachev’s usual game plan a bit harder to execute. But others aren’t so sure. After all, Makhachev has a great ground game and who knows, he may have some tricks up his sleeve for his opponent; especially since Tsarukyan’s clip is on the internet.

• “Islam gonna fold ol’ boy in half and have his way with him.”

On the other hand, fans claimed they already knew the fighter was pretty flexible. How? Well, let us go back to UFC 300 when he faced Charles Oliveira. During the fight, Tsarukyan unleashed an axe kick. While Oliveria dodged it, the kick was enough to show fans that Tsarukyan was quite flexible.

• “We knew this the second he landed that axe kick on Charles.”

While several people hyped up the fighter, Islam Makhachev’s fans were not going to stand and witness it quietly. They got their fingers moving and left comments in the champion’s favor. UFC 311 will be his fourth title defense and what’s interesting is: No UFC lightweight champion has exceeded three title defenses. And yes, this includes Makhachev’s mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov. No wonder, Dangestani wrestlers’ fans took his side.

•  “He is preparing to get stretched by Islam.”

Could this flexibility be the X-factor in this fight? It will be interesting to see if Arman Tsarukyan’s ability to move and escape tight positions gives him the edge in a war of attrition. As UFC 311 approaches, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

What are your predictions for Makhachev versus Tsarukyan? Let us know in the comments below.