By The Numbers: Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan
Islam Makhachev has brought near-historic stability to the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight throne room.
The American Kickboxing Academy ace will defend his undisputed 155-pound championship when his rematch with Arman Tsarukyan headlines UFC 311 this Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. Makhachev took a unanimous decision from the challenger in 2019 and enters their second encounter on the strength of a 14-fight winning streak. He last suited up at UFC 302, where he put away Dustin Poirier with a brabo choke in the fifth round of their June 1 confrontation. Tsarukyan, meanwhile, has rattled off four straight victories to establish himself as the No. 1 contender in the lightweight division. The American Top Team star last saw action on April 13, when he was awarded split scorecards against Charles Oliveira at UFC 300.
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33: Years of age for Makhachev, who was born on Oct. 27, 1991 in Makhachkala, Russia.
12: Makhachev wins by submission, accounting for
46% of his career total (26). His methods of choice: three triangle
chokes, two armbars, two rear-naked chokes, two arm-triangle
chokes, one kimura, one inverted triangle choke and one brabo
choke. Makhachev holds five other wins by knockout or technical
knockout (19%) and nine more by decision (35%).
819: Days spent by Makhachev as undisputed lightweight champion. It ranks as the second-longest reign at 155 pounds in UFC history, trailing only Khabib Nurmagomedov (1,077), his longtime mentor.
6: Post-fight bonuses pocketed by Makhachev across his 16 appearances in the UFC. He has been awarded “Performance of the Night” on three occasions and “Fight of the Night” on three others, resulting in $300,000 of additional income.
361: Combined victories between the 14 opponents—Tsarukyan, Poirier, Oliveira, Alexander Volkanovski (twice), Bobby Green, Dan Hooker, Thiago Moises, Drew Dober, Davi Ramos, Kajan Johnson, Gleison Tibau, Nik Lentz, Chris Wade and Leo Kuntz—Makhachev has beaten since he linked arms with the UFC. They boast a cumulative .719 winning percentage at 361-141-3.
28: Years of age for Tsarukyan, who was born in Akhalkalaki, Georgia, on Oct. 11, 1996.
9: Tsarukyan victories by knockout or technical knockout, accounting for 41% of his career total (22). His list of UFC victims: Beneil Dariush, Joaquim Silva, Joel Alvarez and Christos Giagos. Tsarukyan owns five other victories by submission (23%) and eight more by decision (36%).
95: Significant strikes landed by Tsarukyan in a five-round unanimous decision loss to former two-division Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki champion Mateusz Gamrot in the UFC on ESPN 38 main event on June 25, 2022. It established a personal high-water mark for “Ahalkalakets” that still stands.
10: Consecutive calendar years in which Tsarukyan has fought. He went 1-1 in 2015, 4-0 in 2016, 5-0 in 2017, 3-0 in 2018, 1-1 in 2019, 1-0 in 2020, 2-0 in 2021, 2-1 in 2022, 2-0 in 2023 and 1-0 in 2024.
.763: Cumulative winning percentage between the nine opponents—Oliveira, Ramos, Dariush, Silva, Alvarez, Giagos, Damir Ismagulov, Matt Frevola and Olivier Aubin-Mercier—Tsarukyan has defeated as a member of the UFC roster. They sport a combined record of 182-56-2.
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