Makhachev def. Tsarukyan
Decision (unanimous) · Round 3 · 5:00
Makhachev vs Tsarukyan · UFC Fight Night 149
What happened
Islam Makhachev survived the toughest early test of his UFC run against debutant Arman Tsarukyan, who became the first man ever to take him down in the promotion. Makhachev answered the scrambles with persistent submission attempts and top control, taking over the second and third rounds to earn a Fight-of-the-Night decision in Saint Petersburg.
- Tsarukyan shot successfully in round one — the first takedown Makhachev had conceded in the UFC.
- Makhachev threatened submissions from various positions and controlled the later rounds; both men earned Fight of the Night.
- 30–27
- 30–27
- 29–28
Watch
The full fight.
More videos · 4 clips
Signature moments
Signature moments
Analysts
No verified pre-fight analyst picks are logged for this historical bout.
Track record rows appear only when a timestamped source has been reviewed.
Archive
Pre-fight material — kept for transparency, folded by default.
Tale of the Tape
Records & career stats — as they entered fight night
- 2.63 3.85
- 61% 55%
- 1.55 1.80
- 91% 75%
- 67% 65%
- 16-1-0
- Record
- 13-1-0
- 8-0 last 8
- Recent formRecent formWin–loss record over the fighter’s last five bouts, newest first, as carried in their UFC/FightMetric career stats.
- 5-0 last 5
- Southpaw
- StanceStanceWhich side a fighter leads from — a striking term, not a religious one. Orthodox: right-handed, left foot and hand forward (the common default). Southpaw: the mirror image, right side forward (usually a left-hander). Switch: changes between the two during a fight.
- Orthodox
- —
- Avg. fight timeAvg. timeAverage fight timeThe mean length of the fighter’s bouts (minutes:seconds) — a rough read on whether they tend to finish early or go the distance. From UFC/FightMetric.
- —
- Russia
- Nationality
- Armenia
- American Kickboxing Academy · San Jose
- Team
- American Top Team · Coconut Creek
Career stats per UFC.com; recent form is each fighter's last five bouts. Numbers reflect records coming into fight night. Bars compare each stat on a fixed scale; the “Edge” marker flags the leading corner where the gap is meaningful. The snapshot plots five career rates — output, striking defense, durability (strikes absorbed, inverted), takedown defense and finish rate — each normalised on its own scale.
Pre-fight analysis — how we saw it going in
Case for Makhachev
Makhachev brings superior submission depth and a more seasoned UFC track record — five wins from six fights, including finishes over Tibau and Kajan Johnson. His ability to control position and threaten submissions from every angle should neutralise Tsarukyan's athleticism over three rounds.
Case for Tsarukyan
Tsarukyan arrives on a 14-fight unbeaten run with elite wrestling credentials for the weight class. A UFC debut removes any crowd-psychology disadvantage, and a partisan Russian crowd in Saint Petersburg could energise both men. His aggressiveness and output could disrupt Makhachev's patient, methodical game.
What We Were Watching For
- Whether Tsarukyan can survive Makhachev's submission attempts — he is one of the few debut prospects with realistic physical tools to muscle out of them.
- Who wins the wrestling scrambles: both fighters have elite takedown credentials and neither gives the mat up easily.
- Whether Tsarukyan's gas tank holds in the championship rounds — Makhachev's pace tends to punish opponents late when they tire.
Fighters
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