“I’m gonna knock him out,” Arman Tsarukyan issues warning to Islam Makhachev and vows to avenge loss from 2019

Arman Tsarukyan challenged Islam Makhachev for a rematch. Their last bout ended in a decision loss for Arman but he vowed to do something special the next time.

“I’m gonna knock him out,” Arman Tsarukyan issues warning to Islam Makhachev and vows to avenge loss from 2019

Arman Tsarukyan believes he would knock Islam Makhachev in rematch (via IMAGO)

Arman Tsarukyan put the MMA world on notice with his exhilarating performance against Beneil Dariush. Tsarukyan just took 64 seconds to deliver a stunning knockout in the main event of UFC Austin. With this win, the Armenian will break through the top five rankings of the lightweight division. As such, he immediately called out the champion Islam Makhachev.

In the post-fight interview, Arman Tsarukyan was keen on fighting for the title soon and called his shots. First, he acknowledged that Islam Makhachev was a high-level fighter. Then, he mentioned his first fight with Makhachev and stated that he was a much-improved fighter now. This is what else Arman said:

Islam is a different level fighter. But, we fought 4 years ago. I was 22 years old, now I'm 27. So guys, I gt improved and now next fight is gonna be different one. I'm gonna knock him out. That's it.
Arman Tsarukyan via UFC Austin Octagon interview
YouTube video

Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan faced for the first time in 2019. It was the Armenian’s debut in the UFC. However, the fight was competitive as Tsarukyan matched Makhachev on both the ground and the feet. But, it was the Dagestani who took home the decision win. Now, Tsarukyan was focused on avenging his loss to Makhachev in a championship fight.

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Arman Tsarukyan extended his win streak to three after the win over Beneil Darisuh. Dariush was one of the elite lightweight contenders in the UFC, and finishing him in the first round deserved a round of applause. However, Tsarukyan’s possibility of fighting for the title would be less as contenders like Charles Olivera and Justin Gaethje remain on the wings.

What happened in the first fight between Arman Tsarukyan and Islam Makhachev

Arman Tsarukyan entered the UFC with an impeccable record of 13 wins and one loss. He was given Islam Makhavhev on his UFC debut and just had three weeks to prepare for the fight. However, he put on a stellar performance against the lightweight prodigy. He gave the Dagestani his first tough fight in the UFC. But it wasn’t enough to achieve victory.

Arman Tsarukyan's debut versus Islam Makhachev in 2019
Arman Tsarukyan’s debut versus Islam Makhachev in 2019 (via LockerRoom)

Islam Makhacehv won the fight on the judges’ scorecards as they read 30-27, 30-27, 29-28. Their fight was awarded Fight of the Night, and both fighters earned a $50,000 bonus. After their matchup, both the fighters went on a tear to put up a surmountable win streak in the lightweight division.

After a ten-fight win streak, Makhachev won the title by finishing Charles Olivera. Later, he defended the belt twice against the featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski.

On the other hand, Tsarukyan won 8 of his last nine fights and is now in the position to challenge for the title. The rematch of these two elite fighters remains exciting for the MMA audience. However, it isn’t very certain to happen anytime soon as Makhachev faces either Charles Olivera or Justin Gaethje next.

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