5 reasons why Arman Tsarukyan is the dark horse title contender in the UFC lightweight division

#4. Arman Tsarukyan is on one of the best runs in the UFC lightweight division

Arman Tsarukyan has reeled off five wins in the UFC in under three years

Right now, the man with all the momentum in the UFC lightweight division is Islam Makhachev. He picked up his 10th win in a row over Bobby Green this weekend. Current champion Charles Oliveira, meanwhile, is also on a run of 10 wins.

Given the packed nature of the lightweight division, it goes without saying that it’s difficult for any fighter, however skilled they are, to put together a lengthy winning streak, which is why Oliveira and Makhachev’s runs are so impressive.

While Arman Tsarukyan hasn’t quite put together the same number of wins, the fact that the Armenian has reeled off five victories in a row is hugely impressive in its own right.

More to the point, it’s probably fair to say that none of his five victories have seen him truly pushed or tested. Olivier Aubin-Mercier, Davi Ramos, Matt Frevola, Christos Giagos and Joel Alvarez aren’t the best fighters at 155 pounds, but they possess excellent skills and Tsarukyan utterly whitewashed them.

Sure, Tsarukyan is likely to be pushed harder when he faces off against a top-10 opponent. However, given what we’ve seen of him so far, his winning run is going to be very difficult to stop, particularly as he’s building momentum with every fight.

That alone makes him a major dark horse contender for the UFC lightweight title.

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#3. Many of the UFC’s lightweight stars are getting no younger

Some of the UFC's current lightweight stars like Tony Ferguson are beginning to get old

One thing standing in favor of Arman Tsarukyan climbing into title contention at 155 pounds is the fact that many of the UFC’s lightweight stars aren't getting any younger.

Sure, Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira are reaching their prime years now at 30 and 32 years old respectively, but they are largely the outliers in the division’s top 10.

Rafael dos Anjos, Tony Ferguson and Michael Chandler have all passed their 35th birthdays. Also, while Beneil Dariush, Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor are a little younger, all three men have taken serious punishment over the years in the octagon.

Essentially, at the age of just 25, Tsarukyan still has years to climb to the top. With the likes of Ferguson and McGregor appearing to be slowing down, there’s every chance that he could claim the scalp of one of those older fighters and use them to reach title contention.