UFC 311: How Arman Tsarukyan broke through the glass ceiling of the star-studded lightweight division

Standing out in the UFC’s lightweight division is a tall order. It’s the sport’s deepest and most star-studded talent pool. Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway are among the high-profile fighters who have fought in the division and for the title in the last seven years. In a business that weighs drawing power against athletic excellence, Arman Tsarukyan’s workhorse rise to title challenger is admirable.

“It took five years to get here,” Tsarukyan told CBS Sports ahead of his fight with UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 on Saturday. “I had so much trouble with fights. The fighters never wanted to fight me because I was a strong fighter without a big name. I knew one day they’d start talking about me.”

Tsarukyan impressed in his UFC debut, losing a competitive short-notice decision to Makhachev at a time when the future champion was labeled just that. Tsarukyan’s potential was evident from the first Makhachev fight and validated by follow-up performances. Saturday’s title challenger went 9-1 in his subsequent UFC fights. Unfortunately, Tsarukyan’s critical success outpaced his commercial appeal. 

There’s a risk-benefit analysis at play when one enters the UFC’s official rankings. Defeating Tsarukyan is admirable, but how much does a globally recognized star gain by fighting a dangerous opponent unknown to the wider public? According to Tsarukyan, the lightweight elite refused to answer when Tsarukyan came knocking. Instead, Tsarukyan had to halt his ascent and settle for opponents lower on the totem pole.

“Bad days happen but I still knew I’m the best and I’ll get what I want,” Tsarukyan said. “When I was in the Top 10, I was supposed to fight [Renato] Moicano and he got injured. I was supposed to fight in the main event, I came to the U.S. two weeks before and had a good training camp. They couldn’t find someone for me to fight. 

“They told me I’d maybe fight in three weeks. I started thinking about that show and they couldn’t find me a fight for that show. They found me an unranked fighter. He was a strong fighter but unranked. It was a big risk for me, I was ranked No. 8. I took it because I didn’t have a chance. Nobody wanted to fight. I didn’t have a fight, I came to the U.S. and needed to make money.”

Tsarukyan’s willingness to fight unranked Joaquin Silva curried favor with the UFC. The promotion subsequently booked him to fight high-ranked veteran Beneil Dariush. Tsarukyan maximized his overdue opportunity, knocking out Dariush in 64 seconds. His emphatic win in a Fight Night headliner was the showcase he needed to secure a title eliminator against Oliveira, a former champion.

Check out the full interview with Arman Tsarukyan below.

Tsarukyan’s split decision win against Oliveira wasn’t quite as potent, but beating a former champion on the critically acclaimed UFC 300 card was enough ammunition to call his shot. On Saturday, Tsarukyan finally fights for the UFC lightweight title against the man who sullied his UFC debut. However, this time both men are fully prepared. No short notice calls. No prospects. Just the two best lightweights alive fighting for glory.

“I know this is just the beginning,” Tsarukyan said. “When I’m champion and defend [the title] a couple of times. I want to be one of the best in this sport. That’s why I work hard and dedicate all of myself to this sport.”