Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan reportedly targeted for UFC 311 on January 18
Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan rematch is the only fight that makes sense in the lightweight division at the moment. The champ is running out of opponents to defend his belt against. After all, he keeps defeating everyone.
However, this specific fight has some history behind it with the pair facing off previously, early in their UFC careers as untested fighters. Tsarukyan claims that the win was a fluke and that he has grown into a very different fighter now and is ready to dethrone the champion, The SportsRush reported.
The pair has been in talks about the fight for quite some time now. However, with the champ recovering from an injury, the date and location for the fight were never finalized.
According to MMA insider Manouk Akopyan, the UFC has finally set the date. He posted a photo of a fight poster revealing the date and the location,
“I’m told the rematch between UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan is being planned for UFC 311 on January 18. A location/venue under consideration is the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, the Clippers’ new $2 billion arena," Akopyan wrote on X.
It is a well-known fact that Islam Makhachev will not be returning to action in 2024. So, the UFC 311 date of 18 January works well for the champ.
The champ will be eager to get this title defense out of the way because it will open up bigger opportunities for him such as moving up in weight.