Grant Dawson backs Tsarukyan for UFC title shot: ‘Could give Islam the most problems'

Grant Dawson doesn't think Arman Tsarukyan should lose out on the next title opportunity against Islam Makhachev.

The #1 UFC lightweight contender emerged into the title picture with an impressive four wins in a row, defeating Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in April on the way to a rematch with Makhachev. Makhachev had won their first meeting in 2019 and was set to fight Tsarukyan at UFC 311 last month, however, Tsarukyan withdrew due to a back injury a day before.

Injuries and fight cancellations are part of the sport, but according to Dana White, Tsarukyan won't be getting the next title fight, his championship momentum derailed by a last-minute withdrawal.

Dana White is asked if the reason Arman Tsarukyan lost his title shot is because the UFC is upset with him:

“I know there’s a lot of conspiracy theories out there about this.

You’ll just have to watch and see how this plays out.” 👀#UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/Rpk7kTqmmz
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) January 30, 2025

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Grant Dawson Says Title Shot Belongs To Tsarukyan

In place of Tsarukyan, Makhachev submitted Renato Moicano at UFC 311, continuing in his conquest of the lightweight division. Makhachev's fourth-straight title defense leaves us guessing who his next opponent will be, and with Tsarukyan plucked from the options, some still believe it should go to the #1 contender.

"I think that Arman should get the next shot there," #15 lightweight contender Grant Dawson told MMA Knockout. "There's really not a whole lot of guys that jump off the page when you're talking about who should fight Islam Makhachev next. I can't really think of anybody that that is like, 'Oh, it's definitely this guy or somebody that hasn't already fought Islam...'

"So, I wanna see Arman, he's the youngest, he's obviously the most well-rounded. Other than myself, he's the guy that could give Islam the most problems."

Arman Tsarukyan missed out on a title shot when he withdrew from UFC 311 due to injury. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

At 28 years old, Arman Tsarukyan is 22-3, with his only other UFC loss apart from Makhachev to Mateusz Gamrot. Tsarukyan's got nine wins in the lightweight division, arguably the deepest the premier promotion has to offer.

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Like the champion Makhachev, ranked contender Grant Dawson only has one UFC loss - the American boasting a near-perfect record of 11-1-1 in the Octagon.

A decade removed from his last defeat, Tsarukyan did give Makhachev one of the more challenging fights of his career in 2019 - all on short notice.

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