What Happened Between Arman Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira in Round 1? Why Did Joe Rogan Call It Illegal

The second fight of the UFC 300 main card saw Arman Tsarukyan butt heads with former champion Charles Oliveira. The fight started with an impressive first round for the Brazilian. However, the referee had to call for an official timeout after Oliveira struck Tsarukyan with an illegal move.

This incident drew reactions from many, including Joe Rogan. The veteran commentator even highlight Oliveira’s attempt as an illegal move. Let’s see why.

Charles Oliveira lands an illegal kick on Arman Tsarukyan

Arman Tsarukyan got in some serious trouble when he found himself stuck in a guillotine choke by Charles Oliveira early on in the fight. But he got out of that predicament while keeping his composure. A few seconds later, ‘Do Bronxs’ found his back on the mat and Tsarukyan tried to take advantage of it. Being on his back prompted Oliveira to up kick Tsarukyan from the guard, but this move backfired.

This called for the referee to call for an official timeout and had a chat with Arman Tsarukyan while deciding whether or not to deduct Charles Oliveira’s points. Even Joe Rogan called out that illegal kick on commentary. But the referee decided not to and warned the former champion before allowing ‘Ahalkalakets’ to resume fighting. It must have been a sigh of relief for ‘Do Bronxs’ because it could have proved to be detrimental to the outcome of the fight. Despite the illegal move, Arman Tsarukyan came out as the victor.

Tsarukyan beats the former champion

Arman Tsarukyan held his ground against the fan favorite Charles Oliveira. He landed more strikes than the former champion with a 64% striking accuracy. Moreover, he scored the only two takedowns of the fight, though he attempted many more. Tsarukyan even landed more significant strikes than Oliveira with 49 strikes to ‘Do Bronxs’s 19 strikes.

In the end, ‘Ahalkalakets’ edged past the Brazilian with a split decision victory, which was the biggest win of his career so far. At just 27 years old, he’s proving to be a force to be reckoned with after beating some of the best lightweights, including Beneil Dariush, Matt Frevola, and now, former champion Charles Oliveira.

What does the loss mean for Charles Oliveira? It all but ensures him not getting to fight for the title for a while. As Oliveira and his coach have mentioned in the past, they might try to get a fight against Conor McGregor. We don’t know that yet, but we can safely assume that Arman Tsarukyan may find himself in a championship matchup soon.

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