Grand Prix ACA winner Eduard Vartanyan was at Arman Tsarukyan’s camp in Los Angeles, helping him prepare for the fight against Islam Makhachev.
In an interview for "Ushatayki," Vartanyan spoke about Tsarukyan's injury, which prevented him from fighting for the UFC 311 championship title on January 18.
"My back got badly locked up during the weight cut. After some active movements, Arman pulled his back. Yes, it was so bad that he couldn’t straighten up. His muscles were dehydrated, and his body was under stress — this worsened the situation. The back won't heal by tomorrow... We need to do an examination to understand how long it will take to heal.
When the muscles are dehydrated, any movement causes discomfort. Anyone who has cut weight will understand. The muscles dehydrate and become very stiff. Any movement can lead to an injury.
Arman was in excellent shape. He was ready to work even for six rounds — no problem at all," said Eduard Vartanyan.