Number one UFC lightweight competitor Arman Tsarukyan has revealed his intention to prepare for his future title match with Islam Makhachev by enlisting the help of middleweight Khamzat Chimaev.
While there has not been an official date set, Tsaryukyan certainly seems to be the obvious choice to get the next crack at the reining champion. The Armenia most recently defeated Charles Oliveira by split decision at UFC 300, meanwhile Makhachev’s last outing displayed another impressive submission finish, this time over former interim champion Dustin Poirier last month at UFC 302.
Tsarukyan revealed in a recent interview that he has seen Chimaev train on the set of ‘Hype Reality’, an MMA contest similar to The Ultimate Fighter, and feels that given his stature, he will serve as an excellent training partner to help prepare him for the Makhachev bout.
Arman Tsarukyan will be on the set of Hype Reality 3 with Khamzat Chimaev, and says he’ll ask Khamzat to help him prepare for Islam Makhachev 👀
“To be honest, [Khamzat] is there [on the set] and if there is an opportunity to train with him, it would be good. Since he is tall… pic.twitter.com/gQxWa28vPP
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) July 14, 2024
‘To be honest, [Khamzat] is there [on the set] and if there is an opportunity to train with him, it would be good. Since he is tall and can work in a left-handed stance. I will ask him to help work with me. Yes, if he doesn’t refuse. It would be good to train, as sparring partners. But in general, his build is similar to Islam’s.”