Islam Makhachev drops bombshell claim, says Arman Tsarukyan has declined to fight him 'maybe 3 or 4 times'

Islam Makhachev wasn't surprised to hear that Arman Tsaukyan rejected a fight with him.

Earlier this month, Tsarukyan returned to the cage on the UFC 300 main card. There, the rising lightweight met former champion Charles Oliveira in a title eliminator of sorts. The two went back and forth for three rounds, in an instant classic of a fight.

After 15 minutes of action, it was Tsarukyan who earned a split-decision victory. He earned himself a title shot with the win and had the chance to fight for gold at UFC 302 in June. However, with such short notice, he rejected the title opportunity, instead deciding to wait for a future shot.

That news wasn't shocking to one Makhachev. The current UFC lightweight champion was asked about Tsarukyan's decision to reject a fight against him in a recent interview. Speaking to NY Post Sports, Makhachev blasted the contender.

There, Makhachev alleged that this was far from the first time that Tsarukyan rejected a fight against him. He stated:

"I'm not surprised [he turned it down] because this guy talks about rematch all his life, but... This is maybe the 3rd or 4th time UFC gave him a chance to fight me and he said no... The UFC told me 'We give you opponent after UFC 300' I knew if Arman beat Oliveira he [would] never take this fight."

Check out his comments below (9:00):

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Have Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan fought before?

Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan first met in the cage in April 2019.

As the lightweight champion stated, the Armenian fighter has long called for a rematch with him. The two first met in the cage over five years ago, on a card going down in Russia. By that point, Makhachev was already a well-known fighter and viewed as a future title challenger.

Tsarukyan entered the bout as a very unknown fighter and was just 22 years old. Still, the lightweight prospect brought the fight to Makhachev and had success in the fight. However, it wasn't enough, as Tsarukyan suffered a unanimous decision defeat.

Five years later, Makhachev and Tsarukyan are at the top of the 155-pound division. While their rematch won't be next, it's clear that their rivalry isn't yet over. However, with Tsarukyan rejecting that title opportunity, the champion will instead meet longtime contender Dustin Poirier in early June.