Tsarukyan hast lost his opportunity to rematch champion Islam Makhachev following his late-notice withdrawal from the main event of UFC 311 at Intuit Dome. The news was revealed by UFC CEO Dana White on Saturday night at the post-fight press conference.

UFC CEO Dana White says #1 contender Arman Tsarukyan will have to fight his way back to the title picture against Islam Makhachev.

Dana White has seen enough to finally put Islam Makhachev at the top of his personal list as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter over Jon Jones.

While lightweight champion Islam Makhachev officially has been ranked as the promotion’s pound-for-pound best for quite some time, White has spent the past year vehemently making the case for Jones. But that changed Saturday night after Makhachev submitted replacement Renato Moicano in the first round of the UFC 311 main event at Intuit Dome.

Islam Makhachev closed out UFC 311 with a first-round submission win over Renato Moicano to defend his UFC lightweight championship from the Intuit Dome

Makhachev was ultimately too much, earning a record-setting fourth successful lightweight title defense by submitting Moicano with a first-round D'arce choke. Afterward, UFC CEO Dana White said Tsarukyan will need to re-earn his Makhachev rematch.

Recap Newsweek's UFC 311 fight night updates as reigning champions Islam Makhachev and Merab Dvalishvili retained their titles on a wild night at Intuit Dome.

Islam Makhachev submitted Renato Moicano at UFC 311 in the Intuit Dome to defend the UFC lightweight title. The Russian from Dagestan only needed one round to drop Moicano with a takedown and land a vicious D'Arce Choke to remain champion.