Arman Tsarukyan thinks Dustin Poirier gave up against Islam Makhachev.
Stepping into the main event spotlight for his third and final opportunity at the lightweight world title, Poirier was submitted in the fifth and final round after Makhachev secured a darce choke that ‘The Diamond’ couldn’t fight his way out of.
Speaking on the UFC 302 headliner, Tsarukyan suggested that Poirier was mentally broken going into the final five minutes and ultimately gave up.
“The first round went to Makhachev,” Tsarukyan told Outside MMA. “I thought, ‘Damn, this Poirier is a complete sack.’ Then I saw that Poirier turned on, and Islam got tired and the fight became more interesting. Poirier surprised me. To be honest, I was more surprised by Islam, why he got tired so quickly and couldn’t fight.
“As we know, Islam doesn’t breathe that well in five-round fights. This is the second five-round fight and he’s giving away the endings. I wonder where Islam found the strength to choke, but I have a feeling that Poirier just gave up. In terms of being mentally broken. There were 2.5 minutes left. Why are you giving up your neck? Well, endure it, get over it, do something, but don’t give up. There are 2.5 minutes left, your last fight, this is the most important and last fight in your life. You take it and just give it away. I wouldn’t just give it up.”
Arman Tsarukyan feels that Dustin Poirier gave up and was mentally broken late in the fight against Islam Makhachev at #UFC302
"The first round went to Makhachev and I thought 'Damn, this Poirier is a complete sack'…
I wonder where [Islam] found the strength to choke. But I… pic.twitter.com/idFJcJMorT
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 4, 2024
Arman Tsarukyan is Next in Line for Islam Makhachev, but Will He Be the Champ’s Next Opponent?
With Poirier coming up short, Arman Tsarukyan is likely the next man in line to challenge Makhachev for the 155-pound crown. ‘Ahalkalakets’ is currently sitting on a four-fight win streak, his most recent victory coming against ex-titleholder Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in April.
No official announcements have been made, the likeliest scenario will see Makhachev put his title on the line against Tsarukyan in October when the promotion makes its annual pit stop in Abu Dhabi.
However, the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ could opt to bypass his next challenger in an attempt to become a two-division champion — or maybe even a grudge match with Irish megastar and Dagestani-fighter foe Conor McGregor.
