UFC fans see Arman Tsarukyan becoming the next lightweight champion after his win over Beneil Dariush

UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan has long been a formidable contender in the UFC lightweight division. His recent performance at UFC Austin cements his reputation as a perennial threat to the reign of champion Islam Makhachev.

Following a spectacular first-round knockout victory over top-ranked Beneil Dariush, Tsarukyan left no doubt about his skills, marking himself as the next contender in line.

In a mere 64 seconds, Arman Tsarukyan delivered an emphatic statement at UFC Austin, stopping Beneil Dariush with a sensational knockout in the main event. The victory adds to Tsarukyan's impressive record, securing eight wins in his last nine UFC appearances.

Arman Tsarukyan seized the opportunity to call out Islam Makhachev at the post-fight octagon interview:

"Islam is a different level fighter, but we fought four years ago. I was 22 years old, and now I'm 27. Now next fight is going to be a different one. I'm going to knock him out, and that's it."

Catch Arman Tsarukyan's callout below:

With the resounding win over Dariush, Arman Tsarukyan seems destined for a future as a UFC champion.

The way fans see it, the 27-year-old is ready to face Islam Makhachev next. To his delight, many on social media are echoing the same sentiment, with one writing:

"Islam Makhachev has officially vacated the lightweight belt."

Another wrote:

"Islam changing weight classes after seeing this."

Yet another fan wrote:

"Arman Tsarukyan is going to win the belt one day. Him vs. Iskam Makhachev 2 is the fight I want to see today."

Check out some of the best fan reactions below:

[Fan reactions via X]

Notably, Tsarukyan's UFC journey began with a remarkably challenging fight against Islam Makhachev in his short-notice UFC debut at the age of 22.

He entered the UFC with a 13-1 record and gave Makhachev one of the most competitive fights of his career. Fight fans remember the fight for its high-level grappling exchanges, skillful scrambles and overall competitiveness. Even though Tsarukyan fought hard, he lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Check out the full fight below: