Islam Makhachev considers former foe Arman Tsarukyan the most deserving lightweight title contender.
Tsarukyan should have ideally fought for the lightweight title long ago. Tsarukyan suffered a loss in his short-notice UFC debut against Makhachev in 2019. “Ahalkalakets” has since lost only once more in 10 UFC fights. While he has long been the top contender, Tsarukyan didn’t want to fight Makhachev for the title without a full camp. The matchup was finally scheduled for UFC 311 this past January. However, Tsarukyan pulled out a day before the fight due to an injury, much to the chagrin of Dana White.