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By Simon Head
Contributing Sports Writer
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Weigh-in day at UFC 311 produced a major twist, with Armenian contender Arman Tsarukyan sensationally ruled out of his lightweight title fight with champion Islam Makhachev on Saturday night.
Stepping in to replace him is Brazil's in-form contender Renato Moicano, who was due to face Beneil Dariush on the same card in California, but now gets the chance to challenge for championship gold on just one day's notice.
UFC president and CEO Dana White broke the news on the official UFC 311 Weigh-In Show, as he explained the timeline of events that led to the last-minute change to the main event.
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"Around 1 am last night, we had a call from Arman Tsarukyan, and he let us know he was experiencing severe back pain and felt that he was not healthy enough to compete. So, he's out of the fight," White explained.
"So, stepping in to face Islam Makhachev for the title, Renato Moicano. He's been on a tear since moving up to 155 pounds, and he has the longest active win streak amongst of all the fighters in the top 10 of the lightweight division.
"Six of his last seven, including his last four in a row, with three of them coming by finish. He's a savage. He wants to step up and right. Every fight he's in is a war, and when we called Islam Makhachev, he said, 'Brother, I am the champion. I fight anybody. I don't care.'
"So the new fight – the number-one pound-for-pound fighter in the world Islam Makhachev versus Renato Moicano for the lightweight title tomorrow night, at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles."
White revealed that Moicano was aware of the possibility that there could be an opening in the main event, and made sure he hit championship weight to ensure that he was eligible to step in and challenge for the title.
"Last night, he was aware, and obviously he didn't weigh in at '56. He had to weigh in at 155 to make championship weight."
The new bout offers plenty of intrigue, with Moicano bringing a very different style to the cage than Tsarukyan, while Makhachev offers the Brazilian a very different sort of test to his original opponent, Dariush.
The dramatic change has added to the excitement level ahead of fight night in Inglewood, California, as Moicano bids to upset Makhachev on one day's notice.
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"It's fascinating. For both guys, they were preparing to fight guys with different styles," said White.
"I dunno. Anything could happen when guys step up and take these opportunities. You know I love this stuff. When a guy gets an opportunity, and he takes it.
"And Islam, again. Such a gangster. I am the champ. I don't care. I'm going to bed. Whoever I wake up and I'm fighting tomorrow, I'm good with."
Thirty-five-year-old Moicano has become a firm favorite with UFC fans through a combination of his exciting fighting style and larger-than-life personality.
He has been in superb form since moving up from the featherweight division to compete at lightweight. In his eight UFC fights contested at 155 pounds, Moicano has won seven and lost just once.
The Brazilian hit top form in 2024 as he extended his active win streak to four with a hat-trick of victories over Drew Dober, Jalin Turner, and Benoit Saint-Denis.
Those wins established Moicano as a top 10 contender in the UFC's talent-rich lightweight division, and his planned bout with Dariush would have propelled the winner towards the division's top-ranked contenders.
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But when the opportunity to make championship weight and step into a title fight on short notice was presented to Moicano, the enthusiastic Brazilian didn't need a second invitation.
And after his dramatic late-notice title shot was confirmed, a fired-up Moicano shared his reaction to the news via a video posted on the UFC's X account.
"Money Moicano's coming for the belt!" he declared.
"Be ready, Islam Makhachev! Tomorrow is Money time!
"Man, I'm so happy that I got this opportunity. I've been working for this for a long time, and I knew that could happen. That's why I was training five rounds, that's why I was training with a southpaw.
"I'm ready, and tomorrow, I am ready to shock the world. Be ready, because I am! This is Money Moicano, and tomorrow I will be the champ of the world. Let's f*****g go!"
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