SUMMARY
- Arman Tsarukyan claims Charles Oliveira is good at taking his opponent's back due to his long limbs.
- The Georgian fighter believes Do Bronx makes the top 5 lightweights of all time list.
Arman Tsarukyan’s training is in full flow as he prepares to face Charles Oliveira at UFC 300. Tsarukyan and Oliveira will vie for the #1 contender spot for the UFC Lightweight Championship. The winner is expected to face Islam Makhachev for the title next. In a recent YouTube video, Tsarukyan called Oliveria one-dimensional in his fighting.
A deep insight into Tsarukyan’s training was provided by a YouTube video posted by Red Corner MMA. Arman Tsarukyan explained his training regime and how he hopes to defeat Oliveira at UFC 300. The Georgian lightweight fighter opened up about what he feels is the one thing that Oliveira is good at. He said, “Charles is good at one thing – taking his opponent’s back and choking him out from that position.
(Watch from 9:22 minutes)
He has long limbs, so he’s good at taking the back, locking the triangle, and finishing the submission. But, overall, he is nothing special. Yes, he has some tricks when pulling guard but nothing extraordinary. He’s got a great back mount game where he chokes everybody out. This morning we worked on these types of situations, what I should do if I get caught in that position. We’re working on it but we shouldn’t let it happen in the fight.”
Tsarukyan was involved in a hard sparring session with Bellator MMA (now owned by PFL) lightweight contender Alexander Shabliy. After the session, he claimed Shabliy is a better wrestler than Oliveira.
Oliveira is more than just a grappler who goes for submissions. Yes, he has 21 submission victories in his pro-MMA career, but, he has also has 10 KO wins. Most of his KO/TKO wins came before his UFC career. However, in his latest fight against Beniel Dariush, he won via KO. Oliveira’s on-feet fighting cannot be underestimated.
Arman Tsarukyan believes Charles Oliveira is one of the top 5 lightweights of all time
The Georgian fighter respects the man he is up against. Oliveira boasts an extraordinary pro-MMA record with a total of 44 matches under his belt. He has fought 32 times in the UFC and earned several records to his name.
Just to name a few, Oliveira has recorded the most finishes in UFC history (20), the most submission wins in UFC history (16), the tied-most submission wins in UFC lightweight division (10), and the most submission wins in UFC featherweight division (6).
Tsarukyan claimed, “Oliveira’s in the top 5 lightweights of all time for sure. He’s beaten all the top lightweights except Islam [Makhachev].”
Indeed, defeating Do Bronx is going to be a huge task but Arman Tsarukyan claimed he is prepared. In another boost for the Georgian, he is going to have his teammates with him at UFC 300.
Arman Tsarukyan will have his friends and teammates to support him at UFC 300 against Charles Oliveira
When Tsarukyan used to fight in the US earlier, he used to do it alone. His friends and teammates would not be able to join him due to visa issues. However, Tsarukyan has claimed that a lot of his teammates and friends have now received visas. They will all be there to support him. He said, “For UFC 300, my gang is going to be really solid.”
Both Oliveira and Tsarukyan last faced Dariush. Oliveira defeated the American at UFC 289 via first-round TKO. Meanwhile, Arman Tsarukyan defeated him via first-round KO on UFC Fight Night in December 2023.
Recently, the former UFC Lightweight Champion was spotted with a concerning bruise over his eye. Do Bronx has not made any comments about it yet so it is probably not serious. UFC 300 is now just a month away. The milestone PPV is scheduled to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on April 13, 2024.
