Arman Tsarukyan explains how Islam Makhachev's hand injury delayed their fight
UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan has shed light on the possible timeline for a fight against champion Islam Makhachev. 'Akhalkalakets' recently sat down for a interview for Submission Radio, during which he spoke about his next possible fight.
Tsarukyan shared that, according to his manager, he was expected to fight Makhachev in October. But, the timeline changed due to the champion suffering a hand injury. Now, per Tsarukyan, the fight is expected to take place in December or in early 2025.
'Akhalkalakets' added that he was disappointed by the news but would continue to train hard in order to be ready for the fight:
"So, manager told me like I'm gonna fight in October versus Islam and then he [Makhachev] said to the UFC that he got injured and now they move that fight in December or maybe next year. So, of course it's sad because I already start training really hard and I'm in shape, you know and I thought we were going to fight in October. But, it is what it is. If it's December for me, doesn't matter. I'm going to wait and train as much as I can."
Check out Arman Tsarukyan's comments below (3:15):
Tsarukyan was last seen in action at UFC 300 when he locked horns against former champion Charles Oliveira. The 27-year-old proved himself to be the better fighter that night and scored a victory via split decision.
What happened in the first fight between Arman Tsarukyan and Islam Makhachev?
Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan locked horns way back in April 2019. The event was held at Yubileyny Sports Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
The event marked Tsarukyan's debut in the UFC. The fight turned out to be an exciting back-and-forth affair that went the 15-minute distance. In the end, Makhachev got his hand raised via unanimous decision.
The three judges scored the bout 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 in favor of the Dagestani.
The contest was awarded the 'Fight of the Night' honors and both fighters took home a bonus check of $50,000 each.