It appears that California is under an evil eye! With UFC 311, the first pay-per-view event of 2025, just around the corner at the Intuit Dome, the state is preparing for an epic showdown, all while Southern California battles raging fires. However, the event seems to be cursed, with yet another setback—Arman Tsarukyan’s injury. The much-anticipated lightweight title bout between UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan has now hit an unexpected hurdle.

According to early reports from Red Corner MMA, the Armenian suffered an injury just hours before the highly anticipated clash. Their social media post read, “Arman Tsarukyan is out of his #UFC311 fight with Islam Makhachev due to injury. Sources say the UFC is working on finding a replacement for Makhachev.” In response to the situation, UFC CEO Dana White took to social media to address the matter directly. Let’s dive into what exactly happened with Arman Tsarukyan.

What happened to Arman Tsarukyan?

Dana White confirmed the news on Instagram and revealed Arman Tsarukyan’s substitute for the fight against Islam Makhachev, saying, “I have some breaking news for you this morning. Around 1 AM, we received a call from Arman Tsarukyan, who informed us that he was experiencing significant back pain due to an injury. He feels he’s not healthy enough to compete, so he’s out of the fight. Stepping in to face Islam Makhachev for the title will be Renato Moicano.”

The UFC originally slated Moicano to face Beneil Dariush on the main card of the Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan headlined event. Moicano has been with the UFC for over a decade and is currently ranked #10 in the lightweight division. Known for his strong Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills, ‘Money’ is on a four-fight win streak, with his most recent victory coming against Benoit Saint-Denis at a Fight Night event in France. In that fight, Moicano inflicted heavy damage on his opponent, causing severe cuts that forced the doctor to step in and stop the bout.

Interestingly, both Tsarukyan and Moicano train at the same gym, the American Top Team (ATT), under the same head coach, which made the opponent switch more feasible. With the change in opponents, the spotlight now turns to the reigning champion. How is he feeling about facing a new opponent on short notice? As a true champion, Makhachev confidently says he “can fight anyone.” Let’s take a look at what Islam Makhachev had to say about the last-minute shuffle.

Islam Makhachev reacts to Arman Tsarukyan’s UFC 311 pullout

For reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, it doesn’t matter who the promotion puts in front of him—whether it’s Arman Tsarukyan, Renato Moicano, Beneil Dariush, or anyone else. The only thing that matters to the Dagestani sensation is to fight. Despite Tsarukyan withdrawing from the fight, the Dagestani juggernaut remained unfazed by the change in opponent.

Shortly after Dana White made Tsarukyan’s pullout official, Makhachev took to Instagram, posting a picture of himself alongside Renato Moicano. He shared a powerful caption that echoed the sentiment written on the wall of the UFC Performance Institute gym. The quote Makhachev wrote was: “What does this title represent? It means you are the best in the world, and if you are the best in the world, it doesn’t matter who’s going to be standing across from you. What do I say? No? NEVER. Let’s do this!”

Moreover, the Dagestani also sent a cheeky message to the head honcho via his Instagram story. It read, “@danawhite Now you understand what is the meaning p4p”. For fans of the sport, the message is clear and directed towards White’s reluctance to not accept the Dagestani as the best Pound for Pound fighter in the world in favor of longtime favorite Jon Jones.

What are your thoughts on the upcoming showdown between Islam Makhachev and Renato Moicano? Do you believe Moicano has the skill set to challenge Makhachev’s dominant reign in the lightweight division? And that too on 24 hours’ notice? Ranked #10, do you think Moicano could pose a serious threat if Makhachev underestimates him in his 4th title defense? Share your thoughts in the comments below!