"Bro's already in shape" - Fans blown away by Arman Tsarukyan's ripped physique with over two weeks to go for Islam Makhachev fight

Fans and teammates reacted to Arman Tsarukyan's impressive physique ahead of his upcoming fight against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, scheduled to take place at UFC 311 on Jan. 18. This rematch follows their first encounter in April 2019, which Makhachev won by unanimous decision.

Both men have made significant advancements in their MMA careers in recent years, generating considerable intrigue around the rematch. With 18 days left until UFC 311, Tsarukyan shared a gym photo on Instagram where he looks ripped and appears to be in excellent shape.

Check out Arman Tsarukyan's physique update below:

Fans flooded the comments section to express their thoughts on Tsarukyan's physique. His teammate Shovkhal Churchaev and Dan Lambert, founder of American Top Team, also left encouraging remarks for the lightweight title challenger.

Check out some of the comments below:

Fans and teammates' reactions

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Arman Tsarukyan explains what makes him the biggest threat to Islam Makhachev's title reign

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is considered among the greatest lightweight fighters in MMA history and currently holds the top spot in the pound-for-pound rankings. Tsarukyan has made significant improvements since their first meeting, but experts still favor Makhachev to defeat him again. His is evidenced by Makhachev being a -255 favorite heading into UFC 311.

Makhachev is currently tied for the record of most consecutive title defenses in UFC lightweight history (three) with B.J. Penn, Frankie Edgar, Benson Henderson and Khabib Nurmagomedov. A potential win over Tsarukyan can put him ahead of the pack. However, Tsarukyan believes he has the best chance of defeating the Dagestani fighter. In a recent interview with Brett Okamoto of ESPN MMA, Tsarukyan said:

"First of all, I know how to wrestle very well. Second, I'm young and hungry. I never had the belt. So it drives me very well. I have a lot of energy for the training andI believe myself. I'm the guy who's going to beat him. The most important thing is that I'm super hungry. I want to get that belt so much... It's kind of dream. When I got in the UFC, I started thinking about that. I've been thinking about that five years now."

Check out Arman Tsarukyan's comments below (12:31):