Arman Tsarukyan reveals surprise technique to destabilize Islam Makhachev at UFC 311

Arman Tsarukyan returns to the charge against Islam Makhachev this Saturday at UFC 311 and he is aware that he could be required to deploy new strategies to overthrow the pound-for-pound king of MMA.

In an interview on the podcast Pound 4 Poundhosts Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman asked Tsarukyan about a secret technique they heard he might use at the party. Tsarukyan played the game of mystification, while insinuating that it would take the lightweight champion by surprise.

“Ah, my new technique,” ​​Tsarukyan said. “How can I tell you about it? It’s a good move. Interesting things and he will be surprised. I’ve never done it before.”

“I train every day,” he added. “I want to discover something new, do something I’ve never done before.”

Tsarukyan may not need to shake up his method, given his string of results since losing by decision in his UFC debut to Makhachev in April 2019. He’s been on a roll since, winning nine of his ten last fights and knocking out opponents such as Charles Oliveira, Beneil Dariush, Damir Ismagulov and Joel Alvarez.

It’s the gradual improvements in his game that Tsarukyan attributes to his overall evolution as a fighter.

“Of course, I have changed a lot,” Tsarukyan admits. “I have improved all my skills, but the best thing, I think, is the experience gained from fighting. When you fight, you make mistakes in the moment, then you return to the gym to work on your new skills. After each fight, I feel like I’m improving, making progress. The combat experience is what I cherish the most.”

“Especially the UFC experience. In my first fight I was super excited, nervous, but now I’m used to it, whether it’s for the public, for the people or for the media. It’s like a job now. You just have to go out there, have fun and fight.”

Makhachev, for his part, remains unbeatable since his only defeat in 2016. With a record of 26-1, he recently defended his title against a strong challenge, in the person of the highly regarded Dustin Poirier. Entering the octagon on Saturday, Makhachev is aiming for his fourth consecutive lightweight title defense.

Asked to analyze Makhachev’s strengths and weaknesses, Tsarukyan explained why, on a technical level, he expects to emerge victorious in this rematch.

“Islam is very intelligent,” Tsarukyan emphasizes. “It is very complete. He can punch, grab, wrestle, but he also has weaknesses. His physical condition is not the best. When he fights a wrestler, and the task of taking the opponent to the ground becomes difficult, he wastes energy. His boxing is better than his kicking. I think my kicks are much more effective than his. He is very intelligent, he knows how to move, how to relax, when to take his gloves off, he has a lot of tricks.”

“In clinch, he has good movement. It’s ready when you move and can then knock you down. When you hit him with a knee, he turns the situation around. He is a cunning and complete fighter. I will give my best and I know how I can beat him. All I want is to show everyone the new version of Arman Tsarukyan.”