Arman Tsarukyan calls out Islam Makhachev for ‘avoiding’ him after UFC champ sets eyes on Dustin Poirier over UFC 300 stars

Islam Makhachev recently accepted a matchup with Dustin Poirier in June. The lightweight champion aimed to be active and Poirier remained the only contender available. The other top contenders like Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, and Arman Tsarukyan have fights booked for UFC 300. However, Tsarukyan believed Makhachev ducked the toughest matchups and looked for an easy fight with Poirier.

In a recent interview, Arman Tsarukyan accused Makhachev of avoiding a fight with the top lightweight contenders including him. He criticized the lightweight champion for wanting to fight Dustin Poirier. As such, he stated he was a more difficult matchup than ‘The Diamond’. However, he also questioned whether the monetary benefits of fighting Poirier played a factor in Makhachev’s decision.

I feel like Islam wants to avoid us. He feels like I’m going to win. For him it’s better to fight Poirier than me because I’m more dangerous for him because I know wrestling. Maybe he can make more money with Dustin. Probably because of that he’s interested.

Arman Tsarukyan (via Morning Kombat)

Dustin Poirier spectacularly knocked out the rising contender Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299. This caused The Dagestani champion to award him a title shot. However, he was aware Poirier didn’t deserve it amongst other contenders waiting on the line. But, only due to the availability he chose ‘The Diamond’.

Although Makhachev and Poirer agreed to fight, there were no real negotiations or contractual agreements between them. The UFC remained solely responsible for match-making and the promotion hasn’t spoken about the next title defense of the lightweight champion. As such, one has to wait for the official announcement from the UFC. The historic UFC 300 card featuring two title eliminators Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway would put a rest to the next title challenger question.

Arman Tsarukyan prepares for UFC 300 with Alexandr Shabliy

Arman Tsarukyan has an important match of his career at the monumental UFC 300 fight card. He faces the former champion, Charles Oliveira. Considering the Brazilian was a fan favorite, Tsarukyan aimed to produce an upset. As such, he trained alongside Bellator star Alexandr Shabliy.

In a recent training montage released on Red Corner MMA, Tsarukyan and Shabliy sparred together. The two helped each other prepare for their upcoming fights. Shabliy has a title fight with the Bellator champion Usman Nurmagomedov. As such, they complimented each other in mimicking their opponents and left no pages unturned. Shabliy helped the Armenian in imitating Oliveira in practice and posing challenges for him.

Training alongside another prime lightweight fighter only has a positive impact. As such, Tsarukyan believed he would produce an upset at UFC 300 and eventually fight for the title soon. Also, with a loss to the current champion Makhachev, he looked determined to avenge it.

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