In a thrilling lightweight bout at UFC 300, Charles Oliveira faced off against Arman Tsarukyan. Oliveira, coming off a TKO victory over Beneil Dariush in his last fight, entered the Octagon with a 4-1 record in his recent appearances. On the other hand, Tsarukyan was riding a three-fight winning streak, including a knockout win over Dariush, and boasted a 4-1 record in his last five fights.
The first round saw both fighters exchange low kicks, with Oliveira dropping Tsarukyan with a heavy low kick early on. Oliveira seized the opportunity to lock in a guillotine choke, but Tsarukyan managed to escape, leading to a ground battle with both fighters landing elbows. Oliveira landed an illegal up kick, but the referee deemed it accidental, resulting in no point deduction. The round ended with Tsarukyan working from full guard position.
Arman really survived this chokehold from Oliveira 😳 #UFC300 pic.twitter.com/tO1qktarQs
— ESPN (@espn) April 14, 2024
Round two commenced with both fighters trading strikes, with Tsarukyan eventually securing a takedown and landing ground strikes. Oliveira attempted a triangle choke but failed to secure it as Tsarukyan continued his ground assault. Tsarukyan inflicted a cut on Oliveira with his ground and pound, finishing the round strong with big strikes.
#UFC300 pic.twitter.com/JTdCcFdpJz
— Shannon (@imstillshannon) April 14, 2024
In the final round, Tsarukyan pushed Oliveira against the cage and landed a takedown, transitioning to side control and then to Oliveira’s back. Despite Oliveira’s attempts to scramble, Tsarukyan maintained control and survived Oliveira’s submission attempts. The fight concluded with Tsarukyan securing a d’arce choke attempt.
After a hard-fought battle, the judges rendered a split decision in favor of Arman Tsarukyan, with scores of 29-28, 28-29, and 29-28. Tsarukyan’s victory raises questions about his next opponent in the lightweight division following this impressive win over Oliveira at UFC 300.
