"Short notice title fights are risky business" - Aljamain Sterling supports Arman Tsarukyan's decision to skip quick turnaround at UFC 302
Aljamain Sterling recently commended Arman Tsarukyan's decision to avoid a quick turnaround and take his time to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight strap only when he feels fully prepared for the occasion.
Following Tsarukyan's successful outing against Charles Oliveira at UFC 300, many expected him to be next in line to face Makhachev for the latter's lightweight strap. Tsarukyan, however, opted against a quick turnaround, which would have been at UFC 302 on June 1, to wait for the optimal time to face the lightweight champion.
Islam Makhachev spoke to the New York Post and commented on Tsarukyan's decision to wait it out, saying:
"I knew if [Arman Tsarukyan] beat Charles Oliveira, he [would] never take this fight. That's why I'm not surprised. [h/t - MMA Fighting]"
Tsarukyan took note of Makhachev's comments and on X (formerly Twitter), issued a response:
"The truth is that you want to fight me on short notice to have an extra advantage. It won't happen again though. When was the last time you fought two times in six weeks?" [h/t - MMA Fighting]
The back-and-forth was then compiled into an Instagram post by MMA Fighting.
Check out the post below:
In the comments section, former UFC bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling, who also competed at UFC 300, where he made his featherweight debut and defeated Calvin Kattar, lauded Tsarukyan for his decision to stay patient.
Sterling wrote:
"Short notice title fights are risky business. I think he’s making the right move. I rather see them at their best, with full camps, If Dustin doesn’t score the upset in June. Exciting times!"
Check out Aljamain Sterling's comment here:
Aljamain Sterling teases potential next fight at featherweight
'The Funkmaster' announced himself as a contender at 145-pounds with a dominant unanimous decision win over Calvin Kattar at UFC 300.
Recently, he interacted with a fan on X and hinted at what could potentially be his next fight at featherweight, as he continues to make a run towards the title at 145 pounds.
User @210RaisedMe took to X and wrote:
"I think I speak for everyone when I say we wanna see @funkmasterMMA vs @BrianTcity."
The user's tweet caught Sterling's attention, who responded by writing:
"Would be an honor and a hell of a scrap!"
Check out the exchange here: