Arman Tsarukyan's withdrawal from his UFC 311 title fight against Islam Makhachev has sent shockwaves through the MMA world. The title challenger pulled out with one day left before fight night, citing a back injury as the reason for his decision.
In the build-up to the fight, 'Akhalkalakets' stunned fans with several photos of his shredded physique. While the photos initially drew much admiration, theories have now begun that Tsarukyan's withdrawal from UFC 311 was due to a weight issue, suggesting he was too big to make the 155-pound limit.
His coach, Marcos DaMatta, was interviewed by MMA Junkie following the late-notice change. 'Parrumpa' dismissed any notion that the Armenian withdrew from the fight due to weight issues, saying:
"That picture that people are talking about, that picture I yelled at him because he was too light! In that picture he was 174 [pounds]. Already too light for the week before. You know how pictures are, people went crazy with that picture. It's not true at all, his weight was fine. His weight was actually ahead of schedule coming in here, ahead of schedule for all the fights we've been together. This is the eleventh fight together. He was always very good on [the] weight [cut]."
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Check out Marcos DaMatta's comments about Arman Tsarukyan's withdrawal below (4:20):
Arman Tsarukyan issues statement following shocking UFC 311 withdrawal
Renato Moicano will have the chance of a lifetime at UFC 311 as he takes on Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title in the card's main event instead of Arman Tsarukyan.
Tsarukyan secured his title shot following a competitive clash against Charles Oliveira at UFC 300, in which 'Akhalkalakets' got his hand raised via split decision.
But in a stunning turn of events, the title challenger was forced out of his rematch against Makhachev with an injury. Moicano, who was set to face Beneil Dariush on the main card of UFC 311, has stepped up to fight for UFC gold.
The 28-year-old took to Instagram to share a statement with fans following news of his withdrawal and wrote this:
"I regret to inform everyone that the news is that I had to pull out of UFC 311 with a back injury is true. This was the hardest decision I've ever had to make in my fighting career. I would like to thank the UFC for understanding and I look forward to competing for my first UFC championship in the future. Thank you all for your support."
Check out Arman Tsarukyan's post below: