Islam Makhachev’s title defense against Arman Tsarukyan will have to be pushed back a bit as a wrist injury is to keep the champion on sidelines for a bit. And while Tsarukyan wants an interim title match, according to UFC veteran Jon Anik, he must wait for for his time however long it takes instead of looking for a fight to keep himself busy.
In a conversation with ‘MMA Fighting’ Anik was asked what he thought Tsarukyan should do given the the Makhachev’s injury. He simply said that the #1 title contender must bide his time. Citing the example of welterweight champion who had to wait a very long time for his title shot, Anik said:
“Do you think, Belal Muhammad the way he is wired, 15-months bro, you think he wanted to wait? But he knew if he fought Gilbert Burns on one leg on three weeks’ notice and beat him that he was staring at maybe a year and a half on the sidelines. Arman Tsarukyan has to wait.”
He also pointed out that current champion Alexandre Pantoja waited on the sidelines for a year after his win over Alex Perez for a title shot.
Credits: USA TODAY Sports
While it might have hurt Pantoja at the time, it ultimately paid off in the end.
Regardless, rumors say Makhchev’s return is imminent and he will want to defend the title by the end of the year.
Makhachev aiming Nov-Dec return?
The champion recently appeared in public during the event at UFC Abu Dhabi, where he was seen with a brace around his wrist which prompted fears of a serious injury.
However, Makhachev and his team were quick to dismiss the injury and said that he would be back before the end of the year. Unfortunately, the PPV slots are quickly running out for the 155-pound champion.
November and December are the only two slots left as things stand right now. According to reports, Jon Jones will headline the card in November and Conor McGregor will headline the card in December.
Makhachev vs Tsarukyan could maybe be the co-main event to Jones. But then it would be unfair to the Dagestani since he has been a fighting champion during his entire reign and doesn’t deserve to be out behind part timers.
That said, McGregor’s return to the octagon increasingly seems to be a dubious proposition at best. So maybe December is the time to go!
