Arman Tsarukyan out! Renato Moicano steps up to UFC 311 title fight with Islam Makhachev

UFC’s first pay-per-view of 2025 gets big shake up as Arman Tsarukyan pulls out! Renato Moicano vs. Islam Makhachev now headlines UFC 311.

Arman Tsarukyan out! Renato Moicano steps up to UFC 311 title fight with Islam Makhachev

Arman Tsarukyan pulled from UFC 311 due to injury; Renato Moicano steps in vs. Islam Makhachev (Source: IMAGO)

UFC 311 PPV main card took an unexpected major turn on Friday. UFC lightweight #1 fighter Arman Tsarukyan withdrew from his lightweight title fight against Islam Makhachev. A new UFC 311 main event is in the cog as the Brazilian star Renato Moicano stepped in!

Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) first reported the matter at the official weigh-ins on Friday morning. Later, Dana White confirmed on socials that Tsarukyan incurred a back injury and would be pulling out. When or how “Ahalkalakets” incurred the injury between the presser and weigh-ins is unknown.

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Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC) was to originally face veteran Beneil Dariush on the UFC 311 PPV main card. Both made championship weight at 155 pounds during ceremonial weigh-ins. Although Dariush is one spot higher at #9 in the official UFC lightweight rankings, it’s #10 Moicano who gets the opportunity of a lifetime. Renato Moicano is on a four-fight winning streak that started in 2022.

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He last battered berserker Benoit Saint-Denis at the UFC Paris event headliner. Dariush will not be competing at UFC 311 this weekend. In the meantime, Islam Makhachev and team have welcomed the switcheroo in an IG post. It’s not just the dominant Dagestani that reacted to the matter though.

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Fan-favorite promo cutter and ultra-utilitarian lightweight Renato Moicano now replaces top contender Arman Tsarukyan. With Tsarukyan having back issues, he couldn’t compete. It’s a wild mixup for the UFC’s first pay-per-view of the year, really.

Fight world reacts to Renato Moicano vs. Islam Makhachev
Fight world reacts to Renato Moicano vs. Islam Makhachev (Source: X)

Popular fighters like Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier, and Diego Lopes all pitched in a callout. Here is how the MMA world reacted:

Renato Moicano is a superstar lightweight in his own right and has hence got the nod of many peers/analysts. Many have expressed their awe at the changing nature of the game; this isn’t the first time such a ginormous switcheroo has happened. Not in the first PPV title scrap though, five years in the making!

145-pound standout Diego Lopes pulled out another “call me” emoticon on socials. The breakout fighter is coming off a short-notice UFC 303 PPV co-main event against surprise entry Dan Ige. In the final leg, a special weigh-in took place, before the bout was contested at 165 pounds at T-Mobile Arena, LV. So, the Team Lobo Gym MMA fighter wants in again.

Meanwhile, Dustin Poirier wants in on it too. Makhachev defeated the recent title challenger in his third defense at the UFC 302 PPV with a thrilling fifth-round submission (D’Arce choke). The Layfette lightweight is hopeful for a last dance and is ready to rumble.

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Arman Tsrukyan had ample camp prep and lofty ideas for revenge. But now he’ll have to wait on a later date to make this PPV title fight billing once more. Per the money line, BetOnline.ag saw Islam Makhachev ballooning up to a monster -900 to -1000 betting favorite against +675 for the challenger. The showdown at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles is a red-hot matter now.

Related: Why UFC 311 needs to be a massive hit for Dana White