UFC 311
The reason why Arman Tsarukyan is not fighting at UFC 311: who is Islam Makhachev’s opponent?
The Armenian fighter failed to attend the official weigh-in with reports suggesting a sustained injury a day before the fight.
UFC 311 is scheduled to take place on Saturday night in Los Angeles, an event that features two belts at stake, lightweight and bantamweight.
However, just hours before the event, organisers were hitting the panic button as Islam Makhachev’s lightweight rival Arman Tsarukyan failed to show up for the weigh-in.
Rumours soon spread suggesting the Armenian was injured although there was no indication of any physical problems at the press conference prior to the event.
Last minute switch
The UFC were forced to draft in a last minute replacement as Renato Moicano, currently ranked No. 10 at lightweight will now fight Makhachev and not Beneil Dariush.
Via the UFC’s YouTube channel, Dana White addressed the situation and confirmed the change of plan. He also stated that they will find a solution for Beneil’s fight: ‘We’ll take care of him,’ he said. In addition, White revealed Makhachev’s first words after hearing the news about his opponent: ‘Brother, I’m the champion, I can fight anyone, I don’t care,’ he said.
Moicano too took to social media posting: ‘Guess what, tomorrow I’ll be world champion! God is so good! Thank you all for the support.
Arman apology
Meanwhile, Arman Tsarukyan penned an apology on his social media networks apologising to his fans for not being on Saturday’s card, and thanking the UFC for their understanding: ‘I regret to inform everyone that the news that I had to pull out of UFC 311 with a back injury is true. This was the hardest decision I’ve had to make in my fighting career. I would like to thank the UFC for their understanding and I look forward to competing for my first UFC Championship in the future. Thank you all for your support.
Without a doubt, this last-minute setback is a blow for UFC fans who were looking forward to a big night of action at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood.
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