Arman Tsarukyan Withdraws From UFC 311; Renato Moicano Steps In Against Islam Makhachev

UFC 311’s highly anticipated lightweight title rematch between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan has taken an unexpected turn. During Friday’s official weigh-ins, UFC CEO Dana White announced via Instagram that Tsarukyan had been forced to withdraw due to a back injury. This development leaves Tsarukyan's quest to avenge his 2019 debut loss to Makhachev on hold.

The rematch, originally set as the headliner for Saturday’s pay-per-view event at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, was to feature Tsarukyan in his first title shot. His rise through the lightweight ranks was capped off by a decisive win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 300, but his injury has delayed his championship aspirations.

 Renato Moicano, originally slated to face Beneil Dariush on the UFC 311 main card, has been called to the spotlight. Making weight earlier in the day, Moicano is now set to face Makhachev for the lightweight title in the main event. This marks a monumental career shift for “Money,” who has his first opportunity to fight for UFC gold on short notice.

While Moicano enters the bout riding a four-fight winning streak, including a recent TKO victory over Benoit Saint-Denis in September, the challenge ahead is daunting. Islam Makhachev, undefeated in his last 14 UFC bouts, aims to secure his fourth consecutive lightweight title defense and continue his reign as champion.

With Moicano’s promotion to the main event, Beneil Dariush will not compete at UFC 311. However, Dana White reassured fans and Dariush supporters:

“We’ll take care of Beneil. We’ll get it figured out.”

UFC 311’s reshuffled main event has heightened anticipation, with fans eager to see how Moicano fares against one of the division's most dominant forces.