Arman Tsarukyan claims he could've beaten Islam Makhachev in Dustin Poirier's place, sparks huge fan debate: "This dude nearly got his head torn off"

Fans reacted harshly to Arman Tsarukyan's comments regarding Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier's epic UFC 302 battle. Despite being at the tail end of his competitive MMA career, Poirier pushed the champion to his limits. Although Makhachev won the fight by fifth-round submission, 'The Diamond' received praise for offering him stiff resistance.

Makhachev is scheduled to attempt his fourth lightweight title defense against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 on Jan. 18. Speaking about the Dagestani fighter's performance against Poirier in the UFC 311: Countdown, Tsarukyan said:

"Islam is not going to be difficult for me because I know how I can beat him. [In] Islam vs. Poirier, he looked so bad. He couldn't wrestle very well. He got tired very fast. If I was [fighting him] instead of Poirier, I could beat him."

Tsarukyan then predicted a knockout win over Makhachev at UFC 311. Makhachev responded:

"Arman talks too much. But Jan. 18, I will make him never talk about me again."

Check out Arman Tsarukyan and Islam Makhachev's comments below (21:30):

@ChampRDs re-posted the video clip of Tsarukyan and Makhachev's statements on X. Fans took to the comments section to share their thoughts.

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

Fan reactions

The UFC 311 fight will be a rematch of Makhachev and Tsarukyan's April 2019 encounter, which Makhachev won by unanimous decision.

Currently, Makhachev is tied with B.J. Penn, Frankie Edgar, Benson Henderson, and Khabib Nurmagomedov for most consecutive title defenses in UFC lightweight history, with three defenses. A potential win over Tsarukyan at UFC 311 would mark a significant milestone in his legacy.

Heading into the rematch, Makhachev is a -440 favorite over +340 underdog Tsarukyan. However, his coach, Javier Mendez has praised Tsarukyan as one of the toughest challenges for the Dagestani fighter's title reign.

Makhachev's teammate Umar Nurmagomedov will also challenge for the title, as he faces bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili in the UFC 311 co-main event.