A title eliminator for the next challenger at 155 pounds continued the UFC 300 main card. Arman Tsarukyan won a close decision over Charles Oliveira and set himself up for a title shot next.
Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan Fight Preview
Arman Tsarukyan is a fighter that many fans feel is destined to obtain UFC gold at some point in his career. The Armenian holds an 8-2 record in the UFC and has demolished most of his competition. His losses come at the hands of the current champion, Islam Makhachev, and top lightweight Mateusz Gamrot, the latter being a controversial decision. Tsarukyan has an incredibly well-rounded style, but mostly has shown his wrestling is levels above other lightweights. That wasn’t something he needed last time out, with a 64-second dispatching of Beneil Dariush granting him this massive opportunity.
Charles Oliveira enters this fight as the former champion and the fan-favorite. The Brazilian fighter changed his UFC aura after an 11-fight win streak that led him to the title. After a loss to the current champion Islam Makhachev, he bounced back with a first-round finish over Beneil Dariush. The win gave Oliveira another shot at Makhachev but he was forced to pull out after a cut opened up above his eye. This fight puts Oliveira in position for a title shot next if he can take out the hyped “Ahalkalakets”.
Fight Recap
The fight started with Oliveira landing a hard leg kick that dropped Tsarukyan. Oliveira immediately hopped on the neck and had Tsarukyan nearly out from a guillotine, but the Armenian escaped after a tough battle. Oliveira then settled in mount but was quickly flipped over into full guard with Arman Tsarukyan on top. The fight was then stopped due to an illegal up-kick landed by Oliveira while Tsarukyan was in guard. Tsarukyan landed a couple of elbows from the top before Oliveira got up and the round ended on the feet.
Oliveira kept him on the back foot to start Round 2, but was taken down twice early in the round. After the second takedown, Arman kept Charles in a bad spot for the entirety of the round before pummeling him with elbows to end the round. Oliveira was gushing blood from his head after some vicious elbows.
A hard start to Round 3 by Oliveira showed he was pushing through the damage absorbed at the end of the previous round. Tsarukyan slowed him down with a clinch before landing a big double-leg takedown. he controlled on top for most of the round before Charles reversed late in the fight and locked up a front choke to end the fight. It seemed tight but Tsarukyan pushed through and stayed alive until the bell.
The scorecards were split but in favor of Arman Tsarukyan to win the decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29).
UFC Fighters React to Arman Tsarukyan’s Close Win
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Featured Image Credit to Embed from Getty Images
