UFC CEO Dana White shared lightweight champion Islam Makhachev's immediate reaction to the last-minute shakeup of his UFC 311 title defense.
Dana White announced a major change to the UFC 311 pay-per-view card on Saturday in Los Angeles. Just hours before the official weigh-in on Friday, White and the matchmakers were informed that Arman Tsarukyan has an ailing back and would not be able to compete against Islam Makhachev this weekend.
True to the UFC's business model, White and his staff devised a plan on short notice to save the top of the UFC 311 fight card. Renato Moicano, who was scheduled to face Beneil Dariush in a lightweight bout on the main card, will now headline UFC 311 against Makhachev.
At the time of writing, Dariush will not be given a replacement opponent on short notice to replace the promoted Moicano. White revealed that the UFC will “take care of Beneil financially” to make up for the last-second cancellation.
Makhachev, the UFC's pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter, had no hesitation in accepting the short-term change at UFC 311. White shared a response from the UFC lightweight champion that will give you chills.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Islam Makhachev nodded to a quote from Conor McGregor in response to the UFC 311 uproar
In a recent Instagram post, White revealed Makhachev's reaction to Tsarukyan's last-second withdrawal from UFC 311.
“When I called Islam, he said, 'Brother, I am the champion. I don't care who it is, I'll fight anyone,” White said.
'I don't care, I'm going to bed. When I wake up, whoever I fight tomorrow, I'm going to be good to be around.”
Makhachev and Moicano will now headline UFC's first pay-per-view card of the year at UFC 311. The latest second main event switch comes just days after the UFC weighed whether or not to move the card to Las Vegas amid the ongoing forest fires. in Southern California.
Moicano, who has been on a roll since making the full-time move to lightweight, will now fight for the UFC lightweight title on just hours' notice. He enters UFC 311 after an impressive finish over the always dangerous Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC Paris last year.
Arman Tsarukyan suffers back injury ahead of UFC 311, headlines Renato Moicano
At the time of writing, a timeline for Tsarukyan's expected return to the Octagon following his withdrawal from UFC 311 is uncertain. The Armenian contender earned the lightweight title shot after recent victories over Charles Oliveira, Damir Ismagulov and Dariush.
Makhachev is making his latest UFC lightweight title defense after successful wins over Alexander Volkanovski and Dustin Poirier. A win over Moicano would break the four-way tie with Khabib Nurmagomedov, BJ Penn and Benson Henderson for the UFC lightweight title defense record (5).
Follow Bloody Elbow all weekend long for all the latest news and notes on UFC 311.
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