UFC lightweight ranking number four Arman Tsarukyan responded to the division’s current champion, Islam Makhachev, who in a recent interview recalled that he beat him all three rounds five years ago and advised him to grow up.
“Yes, I had a chance, I failed, but I think I’m on another level now,” Tsarukyan said in the release HUSTLE SHOW. “Yeah, he got better too, but my progress is a lot more because he was already good then. At that point when we fought, he was better than me. He had experience in fighting, he had five fights in the UFC.”
“He was 27 years old at the time, too. Now if you put any 22-year-old debutant against me, I won’t mess with him – I’ll knock him out or choke him out in the first round. We had different levels back then, but I’ve grown more than him at this point. He’s grown too, but I feel like my progress since that fight is a lot more than his because he was already good. He’s tightened up some aspects, stamina, clinch, knee strikes, elbows, but overall he’s still the same fighter”
According to the Russian fighter, he already has a plan ready for the fight with his famous compatriot.
“If we meet, I have a certain plan in my head, how I will work. I think by sticking to that plan, he can be out-boxed. In terms of freestyle wrestling, I think I have it better, and if you add the underhooks, specifically the fight wrestling, he has it more interesting. He has underhooks, hooks from sambo and judo, which I can’t do. He doesn’t have good control. I’m better in control, I’ll be better in ground-and-pound. Somewhere I have a plus, somewhere he has a plus. Of course, I believe I’m better. If I’m going to believe he’s better, why would I even fight?”
Earlier last month, 27-year-old Arman Tsarukyan picked up his third straight victory, knocking out American Benil Dariush in the 64th second of the fight to move to number four in the UFC lightweight rankings. The Russian has reportedly already secured a fight with one of the division’s top three representatives, which will be announced in the near future.
Islam Makhachev, 32, made the second successful defense of his title in October, knocking out Alexander Volkanovski in the first round, and finished the year at the top of the UFC’s rankings, regardless of weight class.
Source: https://fighttime.ru/news/item/33576-arman-tsarukyan-otreagiroval-na-sovet-islama-makhacheva.html?rand=19907
