Arman
Tsarukyan recently downplayed the “invincible” aura surrounding
Islam
Makhachev.
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Tsarukyan suffered a unanimous decision loss against Makhachev in
his short-notice
Ultimate Fighting Championship debut back in 2019. The
Armenian-American has since been looking for an opportunity to
correct the loss with Makhachev sitting at the top of the
lightweight ladder.
Tsarukyan made his case for a gold bid with a split-decision win
over former champ Charles
Oliveira at UFC
300 earlier this month.
“Ahalkalakets” was immediately offered a title shot against
Makhachev for
UFC 302 on June 1, which he turned down citing the quick
turnaround. With Makhachev insistent on defending his title in the
summer, the shot went to Dustin
Poirier.
Tsarukyan recently dismissed the idea of him requiring a
specialized training camp for a potential rematch against
Makhachev. The lightweight contender highlighted the need for a
proper training camp for his first UFC title shot, regardless of
the opponent.
According to the Russian, the narrative of Makhachev being special
has been wrongly built by fans. Tsarukyan further noted that the
Dagestani champ is perceived to be undefeated despite having
suffered a knockout loss in his UFC debut against Adriano
Martins in 2015.
“It was people who came up with the idea in their heads that Islam
is special,” Tsarukyan told KPSport (via Championship Rounds). “The same person, but they
made him an undefeated champion. Although he also lost too, he was
also knocked out. We are all human, we can all lose. There is no
need to make Makhachev an invincible superhero.”