Jon Anik gets brutally honest about Arman Tsarukyan withdrawing from UFC 311 title fight against Islam Makhachev: "Nothing surprises me anymore"

With years of experience under his belt covering the sport, UFC analyst Jon Anik has come to understand that nothing should ever catch him off guard. Anik recently discussed Arman Tsarukyan withdrawing from UFC 311 due to a back injury and the resulting main event changes.

Renato Moicano, originally scheduled to fight Beneil Dariush, has stepped in to face Islam Makhachev. Anik highlighted that unexpected changes are common in MMA and praised Makhachev for accepting such challenges. He noted Makhachev’s willingness to fight anyone as a hallmark of a true champion, referencing his previous short-notice bout against Alexander Volkanovski.

Speaking about the fight in an interview with MMA Junkie, Anik said:

"Nothing surprises me anymore. They did have two ranked lightweights on the card. They also had the guy in Renato Moicano, who other than the champion, does have the longest winning streak in this [lightweight] division at present among the top 10. Nothing surprises me anymore though... We're so conditioned to these circumstances."

Check out Jon Anik's comments below:

While Tsarukyan’s injury forced a quick reshuffle, Anik is still hopeful that Tsarukyan will get another shot at a title fight once healed. Anik acknowledged that Tsarukyan remains title-worthy and deserves the "benefit of the doubt".

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Khabib Nurmagomedov reacts to Arman Tsarukyan's withdrawal from UFC 311 fight against Islam Makhachev

Khabib Nurmagomedov expressed his support for Arman Tsarukyan after the latter's sudden withdrawal from UFC 311 due to a back injury. 'The Eagle' recalled a similar setback in 2017 when he had to take time off after surgery but bounced back stronger, urging Tsarukyan to persevere and return stronger.

Nurmagomedov also praised Renato Moicano, who replaced Tsarukyan, claiming that the Brazilian's skill and experience make him a dangerous opponent. Speaking about Tsarukyan's withdrawal from the UFC 311 main event, Nurmagomedov said:

“Honestly, I knew this yesterday, at 1 A.M. before I sleep. Honestly, this can happen with anybody. If you guys remember [in] 2017, March, it happened with me too. Then after that, I go to hospital, make surgery, come back and I tell UFC, ‘It was my mistake, give me other best guy. I’m going to beat this guy and deserve my title shot.’ It was the same thing with me. I just want to wish him all the best. He’s young. He’s tough. He can come back. He [has] to survive this situation and come back.”

Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's comments below: