Even if there is a shade of detachment in the fans towards the UFC 315 main event, the amount of suspense and drama this event holds for the future of the UFC is quite staggering. But what’s really brewing behind the scenes is catching attention. Just as International Fight Week draws near, Islam Makhachev, 155-pound titan, has kicked off his training camp without uttering a word about his next opponent. Odd, right? Maybe not… if you catch the subtle signs that point toward a leap into welterweight territory. And that leap hinges on one fight.
If Jack Della Maddalena manages to topple Belal Muhammad, the path clears for Makhachev. A perfect storm. But then, something unexpected shook the internet. A close training partner of Islam dropped an Instagram story, seemingly casual, but laced with fire, “he goes for the second one. @danawhite.” This possibly hints that Makhachev wants to go for the welterweight title, no matter who sits on the throne. The only obstacle in Islam Makhachev’s path to welterweight glory was the deep friendship between his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov and Muhammad. However, now it seems that Makhachev has chosen the competition over the friendship.
The No.1 contender for the lightweight throne, Arman Tsarukyan, weighed in on the ongoing rush in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions, and the future of the Armenian fighter himself. While driving around in his car, Tsarukyan said: “No MMA fights scheduled yet, well, the kind of fights I would like. They offered me a fight in July. I was OK with the date, but I wasn’t okay with the opponent they offered me. I want to fight either for the title or a top 5 opponent. At the same time, I understand the UFC’s point of view. I was asking them for a fight, and they were like: “For now, this is what we have for you”. So we’ll be waiting for some news from the UFC in terms of my next fight.”
Arman further added: “It should be clear after the Belal vs Maddalena fight, who fights who next. Islam will either stay at 155 lbs or move up. As soon as he makes up his mind, it will be clear what’s next for me. Of course, I would like to fight some big names like Oliveira, Gaethje, Topuria, Islam. I am confident, and I know for sure I deserve to fight that caliber of opponents. Shoutout to my fan, don’t worry. Now I’m training harder than ever before.
Arman Tsarukyan says it’ll be clear who his next opponent will be after JDM vs Belal this weekend:
“Islam will either stay at 155 or move up. As soon as he makes up his mind, it’ll be clear what’s next for me.
I would like to fight some big names, like Oliviera, Gaethje,… pic.twitter.com/3aGeHnkPys
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 9, 2025
Now, as the drama unfolds day by day, Tsarukyan’s target has shifted from Makhachev and has somewhat shifted in securing his UFC lightweight title shot, against whomever he can. But this was not always the case.
Tsarukyan, now heading towards a possible title shot, is not certain who he might face next. But just before this issue took over the MMA community, Arman was vocal about getting his loss back from Makhachev.
Arman Tsarukyan calls out Islam Makhachev after winning KC54
Recently, Tsarukyan competed at the 54th edition of ‘Karate Combat’, where he fought against a Russian lightweight wrestler named Makasharip Zaynukov. In a grinding yet uneventful bout, Arman managed to come out as the victor. Afterwards, however, Tsarukyan yet again called out Makhachev, saying: “I need another guy from Khabib’s team (with Makhachev), let’s do it again.”
Arman Tsarukyan is the man who gave Islam Makhachev one of the toughest fights of his career despite losing the bout. Since then, both fighters have come a long way. Makhachev improved what he lacked to secure a great win, while Tsarukyan took the loss as a motivation to begin a terrifying run to become the top-most challenger to the lightweight throne. But this isn’t just about the throne for Tsarukyan.
Ever since his loss to Makhachev, Tsarukyan knew he had to grow and improve to get that loss back from the Dagestani wrestler. And so he did, at UFC 300, he had secured the biggest win of his career by beating the fan-favorite and former 155-pound champion himself, Charles Oliveira. After this victory, he made a huge call-out to Makhachev: “It was five years ago in my UFC debut on short notice that I gave Makhachev his toughest fight to date. I’m going to win if he just gives me that opportunity, that’s it.” This highlights his passion for getting his rematch with Islam again.
So with the stage set for UFC 315, not just Tsarukyan and Makhachev, but all top contenders from both the lightweight and welterweight divisions will look forward to the clash between ‘JDM’ and ‘Bully B’ as the outcome of this bout will bring about a whole new set of potential fights. Amid it all, can Arman Tsarukyan still secure a rematch with Islam Makhachev? And even if he does, can he beat Makhachev this time around? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
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