Arman Tsarukyan’s Title Options and UFC 311 Withdrawal
In August 2024, Arman Tsarukyan said he would pursue an interim UFC lightweight title fight if champion Islam Makhachev could not return that year. Tsarukyan named Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler as possible opponents. The interim bout never materialized: the UFC instead scheduled a direct title rematch between Makhachev and Tsarukyan for UFC 311, before a back injury forced Tsarukyan to withdraw in January 2025.
Why Tsarukyan raised the interim option
Tsarukyan’s proposal came after his split-decision victory over Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in April 2024. The win put him firmly in title contention, but a quick turnaround for a championship fight against Makhachev at UFC 302 was not practical, and Dustin Poirier ultimately received that opportunity. Makhachev submitted Poirier in the fifth round on June 1, retaining the lightweight championship.
In August, reports of a hand injury and uncertainty about Makhachev’s next appearance led Tsarukyan to say he wanted his next contest to be for a belt, whether undisputed or interim. His list reflected the top names he thought could make a major fight. It was a proposal, not a UFC booking: the promotion did not announce an interim championship bout with Poirier, Gaethje or Chandler.
The UFC booked a title rematch instead
As the division’s schedule took shape, the UFC opted for a direct rematch between Makhachev and Tsarukyan. The matchup had been anticipated since their competitive first meeting in 2019, when Makhachev won by unanimous decision. Their rematch was set to headline UFC 311 on Jan. 18, 2025, with Makhachev’s lightweight title at stake.
On Jan. 17, the UFC announced that Tsarukyan had been forced out because of back issues. Renato Moicano, who had been scheduled to face Beneil Dariush on the card, stepped in on short notice to challenge Makhachev. The title remained on the line, so the event proceeded as a championship fight rather than an interim-title contest.
What happened at UFC 311
Makhachev submitted Moicano with a D’Arce choke at 4:05 of the first round, successfully defending his title. Tsarukyan’s proposed interim fight therefore remained only a possibility he had discussed in 2024; he neither fought for an interim belt nor faced any of the three opponents he had named in that proposed bout. The eventual championship opportunity was the scheduled rematch with Makhachev, which he could not contest after withdrawing.
The sequence shows how quickly title plans can change: Tsarukyan’s public call for an interim belt addressed uncertainty about the champion’s availability, but the UFC later booked the direct rematch and then replaced the injured challenger at the last moment. The next scheduled step was a UFC 311 title rematch with Makhachev, rather than an interim contest against one of the three proposed opponents.
Sources
- MMA Mania: Tsarukyan calls for an interim title fight
- UFC 302 official results
- UFC: Tsarukyan out, Moicano replaces him at UFC 311
- UFC 311 official scorecards and results
Sources: ufc.com; ufc.com; ufc.com
Tags
MMA, Combat Sports
