After racking up a total of nine wins at the expense of a couple of defeats, Arman Tsarukyan finally has his shot at 155-pound gold, and guess what? The Armenian star is pretty confident that he’s got the necessary credentials to become the lightweight champion. However, Tsarukyan didn’t forget to give Islam Makhachev credit where it was due.

For Tsarukyan, UFC 311 isn’t just a chance to win the lightweight title because he’s got a score to settle with Islam Makhachev. One of the two losses in ‘Ahalakalets’ UFC run involved one on his debut, and UFC fans remember that it got handed to Tsarukyan by Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s protege, but this time, he believes he can get the job done. But the goal and that feeling of redemption hasn’t made the Armenian star deviate away from the spirit of sportsmanship, and as such, commented the Dagestani for the run he’s had so far in Dana White‘s promotion.

“He’s the best in our division and I think [it’s] just me who can beat him right now,” Arman Tsarukyan told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto while claiming that getting to fight Makhachev is the best thing that could have happened to him. “So this is the best that Islam is champ still.” Do you think the Armenian star will get the better of Islam Makhachev in January?

Besides, Makhachev and Tsarukyan have been pretty respectful to each other in the buildup to the fight, and this was especially evident during the UFC 311 presser. Unlike Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov, who got into a heated spat, the case wasn’t the same with the main event duo who even exchanged smiles during their faceoff at the end of the event.

Although he lost the first fight against Makhachev, Tsarkyan made a rather confident statement about his performance that night. Let’s take a look at that front.

Arman Tsarukyan takes pride in taking down Islam Makhachev as a 22-year-old

Defending Islam Makhachev’s takedown is one thing and trying to take him down is another because many have tried and very few of them have succeeded in doing the latter, and guess what? The list of the ones who’ve tried and succeeded also includes Arman Tsarukyan. In his first outing against Makhachev, the Armenian star attempted 12 takedowns, but could only take him down once, and he believes he can do it again.

“He’s not as good as people think… I mean, people think he’s unbeatable, crazy wrestling. But I took him down when I was 22 years old,” Arman Tsarukyan added during the same interview with Brett Okamoto. Given Tsarukyan’s recent run of form, there’s no doubt why he’s as confident as he’s ever been ahead of the biggest fight of his entire MMA career.

Makhachev doesn’t like rematches, but this time, he has to deal with the Armenian phenom, who’s earned his way into a fight against the reigning lightweight champion. Who do you think will take the win on January 18? Let us know your pick in the comments down below.