Arman Tsarukyan explains why he was surprised by Islam Makhachev accepting UFC 311 fight date

Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan will go to war in the main event of UFC 311 in Los Angeles on Jan. 18 in a highly anticipated rematch. The pair first met at UFC Fight Night 149 in 2019 for Tsarukyan's debut, with the Dagestani securing a decision victory.

Until Alexander Volkanovski's clash with Makhachev at UFC 284 in 2023, many viewed his clash with the Russian-Armenian as the toughest fight of his career.

During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, the lightweight title challenger admitted that he was surprised by the champion's decision to accept a fight for January.

He explained why, saying:

"90 percent is going to be my fans [at UFC 311]... I'm surprised [that he agreed to the fight] because it's not his territory. I thought he wanted to maybe fight in Saudi Arabia or Dubai or somewhere else, but not in California. California is an Armenian town, you know?"

Catch Arman Tsarukyan discussing Islam Makhachev below (1:40):

UFC 311 will also feature a title fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov, a longtime friend and training partner of Makhachev's.

Tsarukyan, who was born in Georgia alongside Dvalishvili, has aptly labeled January's pay-per-view card as "Georgia vs. Dagestan."

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Arman Tsarukyan shares pick between Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khabib Nurmagomedov is viewed by many as the greatest lightweight in MMA history. With a perfect 29-0 record, 'The Eagle' has been named arguably the most dominant fighter of all-time.

But his close friend and teammate, Islam Makhachev, is often spoken about as being more complete than Nurmagomedov as a fighter. Given the close bond shared by the two lightweights, comparisons between them often arise.

One such case was during Arman Tsarukyan's aforementioned interview with Ariel Helwani, who asked the title contender to share his pick for the better fighter between Makhachev and 'The Eagle'.

Tsarukyan said:

"It's a tough question because Khabib for me is a different level of fighter. Not just as a fighter, as a man. So, I like Khabib more than Islam." [16:30-16:52]

Nurmagomedov is expected to be in Makhachev's corner for his upcoming clash against the 28-year-old, which has added extra motivation to Tsarukyan's title quest.