Joe Rogan Questions Arman Tsarukyan’s UFC 311 Withdrawal
Arman Tsarukyan’s withdrawal from the January 18 main event reshaped the card at the final weigh-in, but the public record supports a back injury as the stated reason. It does not establish that a difficult weight cut caused him to pull out. Joe Rogan’s comments prompted discussion, yet speculation should not be presented as a confirmed explanation.
What happened before the event
Tsarukyan was scheduled to challenge lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in a rematch at the event in Inglewood, California. The event took place on January 18, 2025—not March 2. On January 17, during the official weigh-in period, the promotion announced that Tsarukyan was out because of a back issue. Renato Moicano, who had been booked to face Beneil Dariush, moved into the title fight on short notice.
The promotion’s event update described the problem as a medical issue unrelated to the weight cut. A separate official announcement said Tsarukyan was forced out “due to back issues.” Those statements are the strongest contemporaneous evidence available here. Tsarukyan also publicly discussed his injury after withdrawing, saying that the pain had become severe. Without medical records or a verified statement tying the injury to weight loss, claims about a hidden cause remain unproven.
Rogan’s comments and the limits of speculation
Rogan questioned the circumstances around the late change and raised weight cutting as a possible factor in discussion about the matchup. That kind of commentary can reflect a commentator’s interpretation, but it is not independent confirmation of what happened medically. No public evidence cited here shows that Tsarukyan’s weight cut caused his withdrawal, or that he withdrew for a reason other than the back problem reported by the promotion.
Combat-sports weigh-ins occur under strict limits, and a championship bout requires the challenger and champion to make the contracted division limit. That context can make weight management a reasonable subject of analysis. It does not prove that weight management caused a specific injury. The careful distinction is simple: the injury was reported; the proposed connection to a weight cut was speculation.
Moicano stepped in and Makhachev retained
Moicano accepted the opportunity on less than a day’s notice, giving the card a new main event against the reigning champion. Makhachev submitted him with a D’Arce choke at 4:05 of the first round and retained the lightweight title. The victory marked Makhachev’s fourth consecutive successful defense, according to the promotion’s official recap. It was a new division benchmark at the time, rather than merely a tie with the three defenses recorded by Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The late substitution therefore changed both the sporting stakes and the preparation each fighter could bring to the bout. Moicano had been preparing for a different opponent and a different style, while Makhachev had spent camp expecting a rematch with Tsarukyan. The result was decisive, but it cannot answer why Tsarukyan withdrew. A fight outcome and the medical circumstances behind a replacement are separate questions.
What the record supports
The reliable account is narrower than the early speculation: Tsarukyan withdrew on the eve of the event with a reported back injury; Moicano replaced him; Makhachev won by first-round submission. The promotion’s notices and results provide the dates and official bout outcome. Rogan’s questions may be part of the conversation, but they should not be turned into a definitive claim about Tsarukyan’s health or motives. Unless the fighter or a credible medical source provides further evidence, the cause beyond the reported back issue remains unconfirmed.
Sources: the event update on Tsarukyan’s medical withdrawal; UFC announcement naming Moicano as replacement; official the event results and recap.
Video: The original embedded clip is a Fanatic comparison of the Makhachev–Tsarukyan matchup, not footage that verifies the withdrawal or Rogan’s comments. Watch the original video on YouTube if the embedded player does not load.
