I Only Knew Islam Makhachev as Khabib’s Cousin, Says UFC Contender Arman Tsarukyan

For most people, Islam Makhachev is known as the reigning UFC lightweight world champion. Some may even know him as the best P4P fighter on the planet. For Arman Tsarukyan, he was just the cousin of Octagon icon Khabib Nurmagomedov.

On Saturday, January 18, Tsarukyan will attempt to become just the second man to defeat Khabib’s cuz when the two headline UFC 311 inside the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. On that night, ‘Akhalkalakets’ challenges Makhachev for the 155-pound crown in a rematch five years in the making.

It will be the pair’s second-ever meeting — their first coming at UFC on ESPN+ 7 in April 2019. Makhachev came out on top, handing Tsarukyan a unanimous decision loss in the Armenian’s promotional debut.

Since then, Tsarukyan has gone 9-1 inside the Octagon, including wins over Beneil Dariush and Charles Oliveira in his last two outings. Those victories thrust Tsarukyan into the top spot in the lightweight division, setting the stage for a rematch more than five years in the making.

Tsarukyan knew Islam Makhachev would be tough just because of his relationship with Khabib

Long before Tsarukyan ever stepped foot inside a cage with Makhachev, he knew who the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ was. However, it wasn’t Makhachev’s reputation for stacking bodies inside the Octagon that got Tsarukyan’s attention — it was his relation to ‘The Eagle.

“I knew him very well because he’s Khabib’s cousin, and he already had five or six fights in the UFC,” Tsarukyan told ESPN MMA. “I always watched his fights and Khabib’s fights. So, when I heard it was Islam, I already knew he was a southpaw, a good wrestler, and very skilled.

“I was more excited because everyone in Russia knows him. I thought it was a good fight for me, and when I beat him, people would talk about me.”