Damir Ismagulov is willing to postpone retirement for a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan

Following his recent retirement from the UFC, Damir Ismagulov has announced his return to the octagon. He intends to fight out the final bout of his contract with his eyes firmly placed on a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan.

The Russian was forced to retire prematurely from the sport due to health concerns. If his next fight does indeed turn out to be his final outing in the cage, it will be a huge loss for mixed martial arts fans across the world.

With a record of 24 wins and just two losses, the lightweight is currently ranked just outside the top 10 in the weight class.

In a post on social media, Damir Ismagulov revealed that he plans to fulfill his UFC contract and compete in the final matchup of his deal, and who better to step into the octagon against than the only man to ever beat him in the promotion?

Ismagulov stated:

"I have one more fight left under my contract with the UFC. There were many offers from other leagues where fees were way higher, but I came to the UFC for the legacy, to prove to myself that I can compete against the strongest fighters. In the Ultimate Fighter, I lost to Arman Tsarukyan, who is one of the strongest lightweight fighters in the UFC. Let's hold the last battle with fireworks!"

In the co-main event of the final UFC card of 2022, Arman Tsaruykan managed to earn a unanimous decision victory over Ismagulov.

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What's next for Damir Ismagulov?

Despite being just 31 years of age, Damir Ismagulov was forced to put an end to his MMA career following health concerns, which he announced shortly after his loss to the aforementioned Arman Tsarukyan.

Although it looks like he intends on laying down his gloves, he will become a free agent after one last bout and will be free to do as he pleases.

If Ismagulov does continue his combat sports journey, fans will be treated to some outstanding clashes, as the knockout artist looks capable of hanging with anyone in his weight class.