"But overall he’s nothing special" - Arman Tsarukyan dismisses Charles Oliveira's fighting skills ahead of UFC 300 showdown
Arman Tsarukyan has addressed his upcoming showdown against Charles Oliveira at the highly-anticipated UFC 300 (Apr. 13, 2024) event. The Armenian-Russian Tsarukyan is booked to face Brazil's Oliveira in a pivotal lightweight bout. The marquee matchup will transpire on the main card of UFC 300.
Oliveira holds the record for the highest number of wins (20) and submission wins (16) in UFC history. Regardless, heading into their fight, Tsarukyan has seemingly downplayed his veteran opponent's widely-revered grappling prowess.
In a tweet posted by the "@ChampRDS" X handle (video courtesy: "@RedCorner_MMA" on X), Tsarukyan suggested that 'Do Bronx' is adept at taking his opponents' back and submitting them. 'Akhalkalakets' emphasized that apart from boasting the aforementioned ability, Oliveira doesn't stand out in any other aspect.
The 27-year-old stated:
"Charles is good at one thing -- taking his opponent's back and choking him out from that position. He has long limbs, so he's good at taking the back, locking the triangle and finishing the submission. But overall he's nothing special."
He added:
"Yes, he has some tricks when pulling guard, but nothing extraordinary. He's got a great back mount game where he chokes everybody out. This morning we worked on these types of situations... What I should do if I get caught in that position. We're working on it, but we shouldn't let this happen in the fight."
Watch Tsarukyan's assessment below:
Presently, Charles Oliveira holds the No. 1 spot in the official UFC lightweight rankings while Arman Tsarukyan stands at No. 4. A former UFC lightweight champion, 'Do Bronx' is on the cusp of securing another shot at UFC gold, provided he beats 'Akhalkalakets' at UFC 300.
Meanwhile, Tsarukyan would be looking to defeat the former champion at UFC 300 and earn his maiden shot at the UFC lightweight title. Presently, the coveted UFC lightweight belt is held by Islam Makhachev, who won it by beating Oliveira via second-round submission in October 2022.
Arman Tsarukyan eyes finish against Charles Oliveira as title shot hangs in the balance
Intriguingly, this isn't the first time Arman Tsarukyan has made an unflinching assertion concerning Charles Oliveira's fearsome grappling arsenal. In January 2024, a video posted by MMA legend Daniel Cormier to his YouTube channel featured 'DC' interviewing 'Akhalkalakets.'
Sharing his views on the fight against Oliveira, Tsarukyan acknowledged his Brazilian counterpart's high-level submission game.
He highlighted, however, that having to defend strikes hinders a BJJ artist from getting the submission, particularly in the early rounds and when faced with a high-level MMA fighter. The rising star further warned that he'll KO Charles Oliveira and earn a lightweight title shot.
Tsarukyan said:
"My goal is [to] go there [and] knock him out in the first round and to show everybody [that] I deserve the title fight."
Check out Tsarukyan's comments below (24:48):