WEB DESK: Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 311 has taken an unexpected turn just days before the event, as Arman Tsarukyan has withdrawn from his lightweight title fight against Islam Makhachev due to a back injury. The shocking announcement was made Friday morning during the official weigh-ins and later confirmed by UFC President Dana White on Instagram.

Media events earlier this week featured Tsarukyan looking fine and probably not having any visible signs of injury, which boggles in pondering the attempt and exact moment of injury claim by the fighter.

In a twist no one saw coming, Renato Moicana has been tapped to fill the void left by Tsarukyan. Initially scheduled to face Beneil Dariush on the same card, Moicano now has a golden opportunity to fight Islam Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) for the lightweight championship. The No. 10-ranked lightweight has arrived at this battle on a four-fight winning streak, having most recently defeated Benoit Saint-Denis in September.

For Abhinav “Beneil” Dariush, now ranked No. 9, the twist means he will no longer compete at UFC 311, clearing the way for Moicano’s surprise title shot: “What can I say? Embrace the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Moicano about the news conveyed through his social media accounts.

UFC 311 will have all its blazoned stars shine, as among those participating will be an awaited bantamweight championship contest between Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov. Stacked cards also include titles such as Jamahal Hill versus Jiri Prochazka for light heavyweight and Jailton Almeida against Serghei Spivac, among others, and Kevin Holland against Reinier de Ridder.

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Web Desk

Aamir Khan, with a knack for economics and business news, is currently working at Azaad English.

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