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Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan 2 Reportedly Booked for 2025

The two lightweight previously met back in 2019.

Drew Beaupre

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

It appears that a date has finally been set for a title bout between UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan.

Makhachev vs. Tsarukyan 2 Reportedly Set For UFC 311

Unbeaten since being knocked out in his second UFC outing in 2015, Makhachev claimed the UFC lightweight title from Charles Oliveira via second-round submission at UFC 280 and has successfully defended the belt on three occasions since then.

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The 33-year-old most recently defeated Dustin Poirier with a D’Arce choke in the final round of the UFC 302 main event, and following that fight the widespread expectation among fans was that #1-ranked Tsarukyan was next in line for a crack at the champion.

There’s been no formal announcement from the UFC regarding that matchup thus far, but the official Instagram account for the Nurmagomedov MMA School recently shared a poster indicating the two men will headline UFC 311 on January 18.

Set to take place at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, CA, UFC 311 will be the promotion’s first PPV card of 2025 and currently features six confirmed fights, including a pivotal heavyweight matchup between Jailton Almeida and Serghei Spivac as well as the return of rising star Payton Talbott for a
fight with Raoni Barcelos.

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If Makhachev and Tsarukyan do end up headlining UFC 311, it will finally give “Alhalkalakets” a chance to avenge a 2019 loss to the reigning lightweight king in what was Tsarukyan’s debut in the UFC Octagon.

The 28-year-old rebounded from that result with five-straight wins before a controversial loss to Mateusz Gamrot in 2022, but since then Tsarukyan has collected four more victories and most recently defeated Oliveira via split decision at UFC 300 to solidify his place as the UFC’s #1 lightweight contender.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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