Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan are about to rekindle their rivalry more than five years after their first meeting. The pair are now set to headline UFC 311 in a lightweight title fight. Check out our Islam Makhachev vs Arman Tsarukyan 2 betting preview for the best tips and predictions for the fight.
Makhachev will defend his UFC lightweight strap against a familiar foe on January 18 when the fighter from Dagestan faces Tsarukyan at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. To set the stage for our UFC 311 Islam Makhachev vs Arman Tsarukyan 2 predictions, we must go through some key details first:
| ℹ️ Event: | UFC 311 Main Event, for Lightweight Championship title |
| 🏟️ Venue: | Intuit Dome, Los Angeles, California, USA |
| 🗓️ Date: | 19 January 2025 |
| ⏰ Time: | From 3 AM GMT on Sunday |
Interested in mobile betting for UFC? Check out the latest Makhachev vs Tsarukyan 2 odds across top sportsbooks before laying your bets. Here they are:
Best MMA bookmakers in 2024 rate Makhachev as the favorite for this fight with odds of 1.25 (4/1). His Armenian nemesis is at 4.00 (3/1) to avenge the first fight loss.
The last fight between the two was no one-sided affair, however. Tsarukyan made his UFC debut in that fight and gave Makhachev a run for his money. Before going through our Islam Makhachev vs Arman Tsarukyan II tips, make sure you take a look at that fight or at least read about it, even though a lot has changed since then.
After defeating Tsarukyan unanimously in 2019, Makhachev went on a commanding 9-0 run, finishing seven of his opponents—five by submission and two by knockout—while also guaranteeing two decision wins. The highlight of his run was his submission win against former champion Charles Oliveira, which made him the new UFC lightweight champion.
Makhachev is an elite grappler. He can pull off some chain-fighting moves to pull Tsarukyan into troubled waters. The Russian also has superior defensive skills between the two fighters. He can fend off Tsarukyan’s attacks and wear him out by staying in charge and applying pressure.
Tsarukyan has also racked up nine wins since his loss to Makhachev. He put together a five-fight winning streak before falling to Mateusz Gamrot in June 2022. The 28-year-old won the last three fights he has been in and will look to extend the streak to four when he meets Makhachev again.
Tsarukyan will have to make the most of his striking superiority to get something from this fight. He has significantly improved his kicks and punches over the years. This could give him an edge in stand-up exchanges.
Bookmakers for PFL and UFC are buzzing ahead of the mega rematch between Makhachev and Tsarukyan. We have explored the betting markets for the fight across major sportsbooks and determined three UFC 311 Islam Makhachev vs Arman Tsarukyan 2 predictions:
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Neither Makhachev nor Tsarukyan have lost via submission in their careers. While both of them are quite good at takedowns, we don’t think this will end via submission. A knockout also seems unlikely, given the similar quality of both fighters. So, the fight should end via decision once again and Makhachev is the likeliest to claim the bragging rights.
Since losing to Adriano Martins 10 years ago, Makhachev has not experienced failure. He is on a 14-match winning run and gains extra confidence after defeating his next opponent in a past meeting. Although Tsarukyan will join the Octagon as a more improved fighter, we still think Makhachev has a more balanced skill set that will assist him in winning this fight.
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Judging by their last fight, fans can expect another action-packed battle between Makhachev and Tsarukyan. Islam and Arman will both look to start strong, but we believe the reigning champion will be the one to enjoy a winning start to the fight again, just like he did the last time.
Makhachev likes to set the tone from the first round and use his knowledge taken from the elite fights. He will fish for takedowns and openings to exploit. As much progress as Tsarukyan has made in recent years, we believe he will need some time to get adjusted to Makhacev’s high tempo fighting style. So, our first Islam Makhachev vs Arman Tsarukyan 2 UFC 311 prediction will be a first-round win for the Russian, who should catch his opponent off guard.
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Tsarukyan put up an excellent effort in the first fight, but he managed to convince only one of the judges in the entire fight. At the end of the fight, Makhachev had won all three rounds. Here, nevertheless, we are going to make a bold forecast: the Armenian will recover with a strong second-round performance.
We expect Makhachev to take the foot off the pedal after a high-octane first round and take on a bit more conservative approach. We think Tsarukyan can take advantage of this momentary dip, thanks to his excellent conditioning. After a shaky start, he should be able to grow back into the fight and try to heavily punch his opponent in the second round and even try to finish him.
Our final Islam Makhachev vs Arman Tsarukyan 2 tips are backing the current champion to win the rematch via decision and win the first round of the fight.
