Tsarukyan Is Targeting Breaking Makhachev’s Record

Arman Tsarukyan (23-3) is motivated to stay at lightweight as he wants to win the UFC championship and break a record previously set by rival Islam Makhachev (29-1), who made four successful defenses of the belt.

Tsarukyan returns to the Octagon on September 19 for the first time since his second-round submission win over Dan Hooker on November 22, 2025. The freestyle wrestler, who is ranked No. 2 at 155 pounds, faces No. 10-ranked Mauricio Ruffy (14-2) in the co-main event at UFC 331.

Tsarukyan says the UFC has promised him a shot at lightweight champion Justin Gaethje if he defeats Ruffy.

Tsarukyan is determined to beat Ruffy, defeat Gaethje and then begin a record-setting title reign, with a goal of making “at least five title defenses.”

“I want to beat the record in the lightweight division,” he said. “Islam had four defenses, so I want to make five.”

Makhachev won the vacant UFC lightweight title in October 2022 when he submitted Charles Oliveira with an arm-triangle choke. He went on to defend the belt four times, defeating Alexander Volkanovski twice, Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano before moving to welterweight.

Makhachev won the welterweight championship by defeating Jack Della Maddalena in November 2025 and successfully defended the belt against Ian Machado Garry on August 15, 2026.

Tsarukyan was scheduled to challenge Makhachev for the lightweight title at UFC 311 in January 2025 but withdrew due to a back injury. Renato Moicano stepped in as his replacement.

The bout would have been a rematch of their 2019 meeting, which Makhachev won by unanimous decision.

Tsarukyan, 29, has fought 26 times in MMA. The run he is envisioning would take him to 33 professional fights. He said he would assess his career at that point and decide whether to retire or move up to welterweight.