Arman Tsarukyan has labored his means again to a rematch with Islam Makhachev, and this time it’s for the UFC light-weight title. Javier Mendez shouldn’t be shocked one bit.
Mendez, main coach at American Kickboxing Academy and Eagles MMA, had a sense his scholar Makhachev would cross paths as soon as once more with Tsarukyan after the conclusion of their first bout in Saint Petersburg, Russia, again in 2019.
Makhachev welcomed Tsarukyan to the UFC in what’s secure to say was a really tough debut. But, regardless of the powerful job, the then 22-year-old Tsarukyan gave loads of work to Makhachev and was capable of see out a call – one thing few fighters have finished in recent times. Even in defeat, the Armenian fighter impressed many.
“I believed, ‘Man, that child is superb, and he’s simply going to get higher with time as he continues preventing,’” Mendez informed Hablemos MMA in Spanish. “That’s what I believed. Now, this time round, he’s in entrance of us, and I knew this was going to occur as a result of he was at degree when he first fought Islam and was very younger. He didn’t have the expertise.
“He’s going to make us work on this combat, however Islam is pound-for-pound No. 1, so I do know he’s going to beat him. I really feel very assured in Islam’s model. He’s one of the best of all of them.”
Quick-forward nearly six years, and Makhachev and Tsarukyan will run issues again in the principle occasion of UFC 311 – which takes place on Jan. 18 in Los Angeles. Mendez is aware of it’s going to be a tricky combat, however opposite to what many are saying within the construct as much as the rematch, he doesn’t assume it’ll be the hardest combat in Makhachev’s title reign.
“I don’t know if he’s the hardest combat,” Mendez defined. “Perhaps he’s, perhaps he’s not. I do assume he’s already had the hardest combat, which was towards Dustin. Dustin introduced the canine.
“If Arman brings the canine as effectively, Islam should carry out the canine in him if wanted. Hopefully he doesn’t need to as a result of it’s tough to combat like that. He can beat him in a a lot simpler means, but when it comes all the way down to it, I do know Islam can carry out the canine in him, too.”
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