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'The Irish Dragon' Paul Felder's retirement from professional MMA paved the way for lightweight prospect Arman Tsarukyan to enter the UFC rankings. Felder, who occupied the No. 7 position in the official UFC rankings before his retirement, was replaced by Arman Tsarukyan being added at the No.15 spot.
Many expected Tsarukyan to call out a higher-ranked opponent to climb the ladder, but he surprised everyone by offering the spot to fighters trying to enter the rankings.
Arman Tsarukyan announced his decision while tweeting his reaction to being included in the UFC rankings. While taking a jab at higher-ranked lightweights for playing it safe by not risking their place in the division, the 24-year-old offered to put his spot on the line against any unranked fighter in July or August.
"Now that I’m ranked, I’m willing to defend my spot in the Top 15 against any unranked opponent in July or August since other ranked fighters don’t wanna do it. Step up, that’s your opportunity," Arman Tsarukyan tweeted.
Arman Tsarukyan (16-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is a Russian-Armenian mixed martial artist who made his UFC debut against Islam Makhachev in April of 2019. Currently riding a three-fight winning streak, Tsarukyan last defeated Matt Frevola at UFC 257 in January.
Ranked fighters have often been criticised for not allowing their unranked counterparts to make it into the UFC rankings. Islam Makhachev, who is riding a seven-fight winning streak, is one such fighter who struggled to find a ranked opponent early in his UFC career.
Arman Tsarukyan gave Islam Makhachev a taste of top fifteen competition in 2019
Islam Makhachev (19-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC), who is a long-time training partner and close associate of Khabib Nurmagomedov, has long been considered as the heir apparent to the Eagle in the UFC.
Makhachev employs a grappling-heavy fighting style similar to Nurmagomedov's but has a far more dangerous submission game.
Arman Tsarukyan made his UFC debut against Islam Makhachev at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs Oleynik on April 20, 2019. To the surprise of many, Tsarukyan thwarted most of Makhachev's takedown attempts and even scored a takedown of his own.
The high-paced fight saw a tremendous display of defensive and offensive techniques from both fighters. Tsarukyan lost the fight via unanimous decision. However, he instantly became one of the most touted prospects in the UFC as he gave Islam Makhachev everything he could handle in his very first UFC appearance.
