The lightweight title has yet to change hands since October 2022, the dominance of Islam Makhachev is such, that no one has defeated him since the day he got the title. However, this might change as Arman Tsarukyan prepares to face his nemesis again. The Armenians defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 to become the lightweight title’s number one contender. Now that he is next in the line for ‘155’ lbs of gold, Tsarukyan has a definitive plan to defeat Makhachev and it involves Khamzat Chimaev.

Both Chimaev and Tsarukyan are team captains of the Russian counter to TUF known as Hype Reality. The duo will share the stage as well as training mats and there’s a high probability that they train together as well. This is no longer just speculation, as in his most recent escapade, Arman Tsarukyan was asked whether he would take time out of his hands to train with Chimaev and it was a big yes from his side.

“Of course, why not? Khamzat fights well and will test his strength. To be honest, he is there, and if there’s 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 train with me. In general, his build is similar to Islam’s,” said Tsarukyan (translated from Russian).

Well, for now, we know that both of the fighters would be standing opposite of each other and it would be quite difficult for Tsarukyan to get his hands on Chimaev. Regardless, this news has caused a wildfire around the MMA community. Let’s have a look at what the fans are talking about.

MMA community reacts in unison as Arman Tsarukyan looks to train with Khamzat Chimaev

Starting off, a social media user emphasized that Chimaev and Makhachev have different builds. Well, there’s a bit of truth in that statement. Chimaev stands at a tall 6″2 and weighs around 185-190 lbs, while on the other hand, Islam Makhachev stands at 5″10 and weighs around 170-160 lbs- “Khamzat and Islam don’t have similar builds.” Another fan was also quick to point out differences in physical builds, but only this time between Tsarukyan, who stands at 5’6″, and Chimaev- “That’s a bad idea if arman and Khamzat grapple there size difference is insane.”

Furthermore, another MMA fan stated that this team [Arman Tsarukyan and Khamzat Chimaev] can be a nightmare for Islam Makhachev, in all probability because Chimaev understands Dagestani wrestling, and his training can work against elite wrestlers- “wowww if this happen, nightmare for Islam Makhachev…”

Islam Makhachev has yet to be dethroned by any fighter after he clinched the lightweight title and a fan is optimistic that Tsarukyan might just attain the impossible- “Hope he beats Islam.” At least the nasty cut the Dagestani suffered against Dustin Poirier established that he is quite human and especially not inevitable, as in several instances the veteran seemed to overpower the champ! Yet, not everyone was an optimist.

As far as title fights go for the champ, of the 4 bouts, he has won 3 with finishes. To be specific, the fighter scored his only unanimous decision win against Alexander Volkanovski, and for their second tryst, it was finished by a 1st round TKO. As for Charles Oliveria and Dustin Poirier, they both went down with second and fifth-round submissions, respectively. Hence, a fan claimed that Tsarukyan would be dealt with a knockout as well- “lol you’re still gonna get knocked out.”

Last but not least, a fan noted that Chimaev is the best wrestler in the UFC- “Good idea @khamzat_chimaev is the best wrestler in ufc.” Well, ‘Borz’ was the best wrestler in Sweden, however, is he the best of UFC? That’s a bit debatable and we are intrigued to know your thoughts on the same!

Arman Tsarukyan would be facing Islam Makhachev either at the end of the year or next year due to the fact that he has been suspended from the commission for his escapade at UFC 300. Their initial clash ended in a defeat for Tsarukyan by way of a unanimous decision. However, this time the Armenian is motivated to clinch the victory. Will he be able to breach the Dagestani wall? State your thoughts in the comments below.