Arman Tsarukyan has opined that Dustin Poirier’s submission loss to Islam Makhachev stemmed from mental weakness, which has earned him the disapproval of Matesuz Gamrot, who took to X/Twitter to voice his indignation with Tsarukyan’s assessment of Poirier.
For those who are unaware, Gamrot, an elite wrestler, aided Poirier in the latter’s UFC 302 training camp by emulating Makhachev. Many were impressed with Poirier’s grit and overall performance, despite his UFC 302 loss. Thus, Gamrot has taken issue with Tsarukyan discrediting ‘The Diamond.’
“Arman is a b*tch!”
Tsarukyan was not impressed by Makhachev’s fifth-round D’Arce choke, which earned the Dagestani star his third lightweight title defense. According to Tsarukyan, the finish had more to do with Poirier supposedly giving up than Makhachev digging deep to find the strength for the choke’s squeeze.
“Well, as we know, Islam doesn’t breathe that well in five-round fights. This is his second five-round fight and he’s giving away endings. I wonder where [Islam] found the strength to choke, but I have a feeling that Poirier just gave up in terms of being mentally broken.”
Check out Arman Tsarukyan’s assessment of Dustin Poirier (0:16):
While Poirier himself is yet to say anything in response to Tsarukyan’s criticism, it will likely spark much debate in the MMA space on X/Twitter, as Tsarukyan didn’t just downplay Poirier. He also took a shot at Makhachev, claiming that the lightweight titleholder lacked the gas tank necessary for five-round bouts.
For reference, Makhachev has only ever been in two five-round fights. His UFC 302 clash with Poirier is his most recent one, which he won via submission after a competitive back-and-forth affair. His first five-rounder took place at UFC 284, where he faced Alexander Volkanovski.
While Makhachev won via unanimous decision, Volkanovski authored such an impressive performance that many MMA figures felt that the Australian had done enough to win. Makhachev was also noticeably tired by the end.
However, it should be noted that Makhachev was hindered by a staph infection at UFC 302, which likely impacted his ability to fight for five rounds at his usual pace.
Arman Tsarukyan and Mateusz Gamrot have history
Arman Tsarukyan is currently on a four-fight win streak, having recently defeated former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira via split decision at UFC 300. His purple patch began after his loss to none other than Mateusz Gamrot, who he faced at UFC Vegas 57.
Check out Arman Tsarukyan vs. Matesuz Gamrot:
The pair had a competitive bout defined by high-level grappling scrambles. While Tsarukyan had the edge on the feet, even knocking Gamrot down, he was unable to completely neutralize his foe’s wrestling, who manage to squeeze out six takedowns out of a staggering 21 attempts.
