Tsarukyan explained his refusal to fight Makhachev

UFC top Armenian lightweight Arman Tsarukyan has revealed why he turned down an offer for a fight against division champion Islam Makhachev of Dagestan.

Tsarukyan defeated Charles Oliveira by split decision last weekend at UFC 300 in Las Vegas, USA.

"As soon as I left the octagon, Hunter Campbell came up to me and said: "Islam, June 1." I replied, 'I need to think about it.' It turns out it's seven weeks before the fight - and I have to take some time off and then do a training camp. If it was the end of June, I would have agreed to the fight.

Why should I take the same risk as I did in our first fight with Islam? It's short notice again. And I want to be ready 100%," Tsarukyan said on The MMA Hour show.