Arman Tsarukyan was meant to share the Octagon with Islam Makhachev for lightweight gold earlier this year. Instead, he watched from the sidelines as Makhachev captured the welterweight championship at UFC 322, delivering a flawless performance against Jack Della Maddalena — and Tsarukyan says he was shocked by what he saw.
Now preparing for his own return in the main event of UFC Qatar against Dan Hooker, Tsarukyan is chasing his way back into title contention at 155 pounds. The five-round headliner takes place at the Ali Bin Hamad al-Attiyah Arena in Doha and streams on ESPN+.
Watching Makhachev dominate a natural welterweight like Della Maddalena left Tsarukyan with nothing but respect.
“A very good performance,” Tsarukyan told MMA Fighting. “I was shocked how he beat [Della Maddalena] so easy. It shows what Islam’s level is right now. He’s on a different level. He’s in his prime. I don’t know who can stop him right now, even at 170.”
Tsarukyan was originally scheduled to headline UFC 311 against Makhachev for the lightweight title in January before a back injury forced him to withdraw just a day before the event. The decision drew heavy criticism from fans, and even UFC CEO Dana White said Tsarukyan would have to “fight his way back” to a title shot.
That experience, Tsarukyan says, taught him a painful but valuable lesson.
“Don’t overtrain. That’s the most important thing that I learned,” he said. “I used to push too much — wrestling hard, hiking, training nonstop. Now I try to save energy and train smarter.”
With Makhachev now ruling the welterweight division, the lightweight division has a new face at the top: Ilia Topuria, who captured the 155-pound title with a stunning first-round KO of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317.
Tsarukyan respects the current champion — but wishes things were different.
“Yeah, it’s pretty good with Topuria as lightweight champ,” Tsarukyan said. “But I wish Islam was champion in our division because he fights contenders and fights everybody. Ilia’s trying to find easy fights.”
As Tsarukyan prepares to face a tough veteran in Dan Hooker this Saturday, he believes a statement win could set him back on the path to the title — and maybe one day, to the matchup with Makhachev that slipped away.
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