Arman Tsarukyan came into the UFC event on Saturday as more than a -1000 favorite to win the lightweight co-main event against Joaquim Silva. In the end, he completed the task, but not without some drama. At UFC Vegas 75, Tsarukyan defeated an exceedingly tough opponent by third-round TKO to earn his 20th professional victory.
Tsarukyan won the initial round by employing his excellent grappling, but in Round 2 he chose to stay on his feet and nearly paid the price when Silva caught him with a powerful shot. Tsarukyan was able to rebound and land a takedown to end the round on a positive note.
Who did Tsarukyan defeat at UFC Vegas 75?
At UFC Vegas 75, Arman Tsarukyan defeated Joaquim Silva via TKO. At UFC Vegas 75, the co-main event pitted Tsarukyan vs Silva. The lightweight champion who was ranked #8 decided to fight the unranked Brazilian in an effort to move up the rankings and secure a shot at the belt.
Arman dominated his opponent on the ground to start the fight. The 26-year-old managed to clock a super impressive more than 4 minutes of ground control in the opening round. The Georgian currently has won four of his previous five matches.
"I'm going to smash him." 👀
📞 @ArmanUFC makes the callout for lightweight king, Islam Makhachev! #UFCVegas75 pic.twitter.com/N5kKlI5Dgu
— UFC (@ufc) June 18, 2023
Mateusz Gamrot defeated him in a close decision in June 2022. But in December 2022, he defeated one of the strongest 155-pound prospects Damir Ismagulov to resume his winning streak.
With all due respect to Charles Oliveira, I really want to see Islam Makhachev run it back with Arman Tsarukyan. pic.twitter.com/aWbOc8Q42n
— عمر عثمان 🇦🇫 Mike Tyson’s Translator (@OmerOsman200) June 18, 2023
The outcome of the second round was different. Both competitors remained standing until the Brazilian rocked Tsarukyan with a hard punch, causing him to go to the ground once more. In the third round, Tsarukyan regained full control of the fight, finished Silva with severe ground and pound, and won by TKO. Tsarukyan’s victory solidified his standing as a contender in the lightweight class.
Arman Tsarukyan vs Islam Makhachev feud explained
In 2019, Tsarukyan competed against Islam Makhachev at “UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Oleinik.” The fight was somewhat challenging for the usually dominant Dagestani but in the end, the AKA prospect managed to walk away victorious.
During a recent interview with DC, the reigning champ almost discredited Arman as a challenger o significance. Tsarukyan may feel insulted by these statements and want to run it back.
While there doesn’t seem to be any traditional conflict between the two lightweights, Arman probably feels like he can put up a better show if a rematch were to take place. With tonight’s victory, the 26-year-old may not be too far away from his shot at gold.
