Arman Tsarukyan’s withdrawal from UFC 311 left fans and analysts questioning what really happened to cause his back injury, which led to him pulling out of his lightweight title fight against Islam Makhachev. While some pointed to an intense neck drill that Tsarukyan performed in a viral clip, former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett believes the root cause was the fighter’s extreme weight cut.
The Weight Cut and Back Issues
Barnett doesn’t mince words when it comes to explaining what likely caused Tsarukyan’s injury. “You don’t get Arman Tsarukyan having back problems if you don’t have insane weight cutting,” Barnett said on the Ariel Helwani show. “I truly believe that in doing his weight cut, he probably did hit a huge back spasm out of nowhere that completely took him by surprise. And was bad enough that, one, it was obviously going to impact his ability to cut weight, so how is he gonna make the weight class?”
Barnett also stressed the potential severity of such an injury, adding, “And, two, could be severe enough that he wouldn’t feel up to being able to compete the next day.”
According to Barnett, the pressure of extreme weight cutting in MMA is not only harmful to fighters but also stems from the sport’s existing structure. “And this all comes from fighting under a ruleset that encourages you to game the system because everyone is doing it and there’s no way around it really,” he explained.
“You don’t get Arman Tsarukyan having back problems if you don’t have insane weight cutting.”@JoshLBarnett‘s strong take on weight cutting in MMA 👀
“I think weight cutting is the number one most dangerous element to the sport of MMA and the biggest legal cheating method that… pic.twitter.com/0kcndHWA5s
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) January 20, 2025
Tsarukyan’s Struggle
Tsarukyan, who was clearly frustrated by the situation, offered his perspective on the issue. “Yeah, I saw the same,” Tsarukyan said on Helwani’s show. “Maybe a doctor said, ‘He could fight,’ I don’t know. But, like, how? I was training so hard. I was cutting my weight. I was riding, like, 8 weeks. And on my mind, if I step in the cage, I make a lot of money, I wanted to be on this fight more than everybody. You know? Even if we lose, but lose good, I could make good money. But I couldn’t walk.”
However, despite his desire to fight, Tsarukyan’s body simply couldn’t keep up with the extreme demands. “Wednesday after training, I went to sleep, and I started to feel my lower back, and I couldn’t sleep all night and thought something happened. Took some painkiller, but it didn’t help,” he recalled.
By the following day, Tsarukyan hoped the situation would improve, planning to start his weight cut after the press conference. But things took a drastic turn when he began his training again. “When I started my weight cut, I was doing the bike, and like, that moment, my back was stuck, and I couldn’t move,” he said.
Arman Tsarukyan on Dana White’s reaction to him not fighting at UFC 311:
“Maybe a doctor told him I could fight, I don’t know… I wanted to be in this fight more than anyone. Even if I lost but looked good… I could have made good money, but I couldn’t walk.” pic.twitter.com/gGD0m8D1PM
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) January 20, 2025
The Bigger Picture
Tsarukyan’s experience shines a light on the dangerous side of weight cutting in MMA. While it’s a common practice among fighters, it’s clear that it can lead to serious injuries, as demonstrated by Tsarukyan’s situation. Barnett’s comments about the weight-cutting culture also bring attention to the bigger issue: the ruleset that pressures fighters to push their bodies beyond safe limits.
As UFC CEO Dana White commented, Tsarukyan’s withdrawal raised doubts, as he initially questioned whether the injury was legitimate, stating that while fighters shouldn’t compete injured, Tsarukyan’s title shot would likely be delayed.
This situation serves as a harsh reminder of the risks that fighters face in pursuit of glory, with weight cutting being one of the most dangerous practices in the sport.