There is no doubt that Islam Makhachev is about to face the toughest challenge of his career in Arman Tsarukyan. The two fighters have a history together, with their first matchup being incredibly close. Many believe that Tsarukyan’s performance in that fight gives him a psychological advantage heading into the rematch. However, head coach Javier Mendez has a different perspective.
Despite Tsarukyan coming in as a peak version of himself, Mendez believes that Makhachev’s skill set and ability to adapt will still prove too much for the Armenian fighter. Mendez is confident that Islam will rise above the challenge and continue to reign supreme in the lightweight division.
Mendez emphasized that both Makhachev and Tsarukyan have improved since their first fight, but Mendez believes that Makhachev has evolved far beyond the fighter he was back then. He sees both fighters coming into the rematch at their peak, with each one being in the best shape of their careers. However, Mendez expressed a strong confidence in Makhachev’s abilities, stating that he believes Islam is the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
He said, “Islam is no way near what he was back then he is so much better and so is Arman. So I look at two guys that are coming at their peak and I like to look at them that way…I’m really confident that my number one p4p is Islam. I just don’t see anyone beating him.”
Arman Tsarukyan Feels No Pressure Against Islam Makhachev
In a conversation with ESPN, Tsarukyan reflected on the fight and highlighted the difference in mindset between him and the Dagestani fighters. While Khabib and his team are fully immersed in MMA, living and breathing the sport with the goal of earning from it, Tsarukyan approaches it more casually.
He mentioned that for him, MMA is about fun, without the pressure to make a living from it. He emphasized that if he loses, there wouldn’t be much fallout, but for someone like Islam, a loss could mean losing everything. In his words, “There is no pressure on me. If I lose nobody gonna tell me anything. If Islam loses, he will lose everything.”
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It will definitely be interesting to see how Tsarukyan handles Mendez and the Dagestani camp. Unlike Makhachev, Tsarukyan seems to have less pressure, which could play to his advantage at UFC 311.
Also Read: Dana White Officially Announces 2 Highly Anticipated Title Fights For UFC 311 In January; Fans React
