Following his victory over Charles Oliveira at UFC 300, popular Armenian wrestler Arman Tsarukyan gets the chance to write his name in the MMA history books at UFC 311.
Easier said than done, especially when facing such a dominant champion as Islam Makhachev – although one lightweight prospect believes the 22-3 prospect has a 'secret weapon' at his disposal.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Lightweight prospect believes 'secret weapon' makes UFC 311 a 50/50 fight
Arman Tsarukyan fights for lightweight gold against Makhachev in the main event of UFC 311, scheduled for January 18, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California.
That title fight will be a rematch of Tsarukyan's UFC debut, which the dominant Russian won via unanimous decision in what was an excellent display of wrestling prowess.
While Makhachev may be the odds-on betting favorite to retain his title, with just 12% of Tapology Community Picks going in Tsarukyan's favor, rising lightweight contender Esteban Ribovics believes it's much closer to '50/50' than fans realize .
Speaking to UFC veteran Yoel Romero via the Overdogs Espanol Podcast, Ribovics stated that confidence is key; and that Makhachev must be wary of overlooking an incredibly motivated title challenger.
“Islam Makhachev's fight in January against another is possible [future] champion, Arman Tsarukyan – wow… They fought once before, Islam won, it was a battle and wrestling war – and I think it will be like that again [at UFC 311].
“I think Tsarukyan has a chance to become champion, but for me it's 50-50. 50-50 for either one.”
Ribovics, who is himself a Fight of the Year candidate against Daniel Zellhuber at UFC 306, believes Tsarukyan's desire for championship glory could see him topple the current king.
“He hasn't been a champion yet, [he has] the hunger – the other guy has already won the title, already defended it, but this guy has already fought him and he is hungry, he wants to be too [UFC] champion – that is his strong advantage [over Makhachev].
“Islam has won [the first fight] by decision, just pure wrestling; go in and out, take the back [and] circle – it was a crazy fight, but his strength [in the rematch] is that he wants to be champion, in my opinion.”
Esteban Ribovics is aiming for a rapid rise up the lightweight rankings in 2025
Ribovics has bounced back from losing his UFC debut with three straight major wins; including the aforementioned Fight of the Year contender against Daniel Zellhuber – so what's next for 'El Gringo'?
Just a few hours ago it was reported that Ribovics would face Nasrat Haqparast on the main card of the UFC Fight Night card on March 1, 2025 – Ribovics seemingly confirmed the matchup by sharing the post on his social media pages.
Should 'El Gringo' continue his upward trajectory, there are two names in mind who he would like to face later in the new year: Paddy 'The Baddy' Pimblett and Bobby 'King' Green.
'I've been thinking about a lot of people [opponents]I've always wanted to fight Paddy Pimblett, maybe Paddy or Bobby Green – the UFC offered me Nasrat [Haqparast]he's like the 185-pound Kelvin Gastelum they are [all] dogfights, the kind of combat I like. They put on a good show, so I think it can be a good show [for the fans].
“[Bobby Green] That's a fight I like very much, he puts his hands down and goes like a dog, [whereas] I'm in the eye of a hurricane… He's close to the top fifteen and he's made a name for himself. I'd like to fight Bobby. I know he hits hard, but I hit hard too.”
UFC 311: Makhachev vs Tsarukyan will air live on January 18, 2025, with Ribovics set to return to action just a few weeks later on March 1.
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