Arman Tsarukyan ruled out of UFC 311 due to injury, as confirmed by the company president during a live broadcast. Renato Moicano will step in to face Islam Makhachev.

What happened to Arman Tsarukyan?

According to Dana White, the fighter, who was set to headline the event, was experiencing significant back pain and didn’t feel healthy enough to deliver his best performance.

This was supposed to be the second matchup between the two fighters, following their 2019 encounter. Makhachev had already stated there would not be a trilogy after UFC 311.ruled out of UFC 311 due to injury, as confirmed by the company president during a live broadcast. Renato Moicano will step in to face Islam Makhachev.

The Return of the Lightweight King

The best "pound for pound" fighter in the UFC, Islam Makhachev (26-1), returns to the octagon for his fourth title defense in the lightweight division.

The Dagestani fighter was set to face Arman Tsarukyan (22-3) at UFC 311 in a rematch after their previous encounter in 2019, but the plans changed due to an injury suffered by the Georgian fighter.

Makhachev, a protégé of former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, arrives at a great moment in his career. He looked impressive in his fight against Poirier at UFC 302, and now he wants to prove that he’s not only a magnificent wrestler and grappler but that he can also strike.

Future Plans: Topuria or Double Champ Dream?

Makhachev’s future is brimming with possibilities, but he knows what he wants.

"People ask about Ilia Topuria. Fighting just for money doesn’t make sense to me—I don’t need it. Plus, I’ve already faced fighters from smaller divisions. But I haven’t said no. If I clean out my division and people, Dana [White] included, want it, why not? Someday, I’ll take that fight. It’ll be easy," Makhachev shared on Adin Ross’s Kick channel.

While Topuria aims to dethrone Makhachev, the Dagestani’s ambitions extend further: he dreams of becoming a double champion. That means targeting the welterweight belt, currently held by his friend Belal Muhammad.

"That’s my dream," Makhachev said. "Belal is there; he’s defending his belt soon. We have the same agent, so we’ll sit and talk. I don’t want to leave this sport without a second belt."