Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has suggested that a ‘skill gap’ still remains between lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan ahead of their UFC 311 headlining fight this weekend in California.

“I understand how good Arman Tsarukyan is,” Whittaker stated on his MMA Arcade podcast. “But I just feel like if we look at Islam’s last fight with Dustin and we look at Arman’s last fight with Charles, I just feel like there’s a skill gap.“

A lot has been made of how well Tsarukyan did in his UFC debut against Makhachev back in 2019, even if he did eventually lose by unanimous decision, and with nine wins from his ten fights since then there’s no doubt that he’s earned another shot at the champion.

However, while acknowledging he’s undeniably talented, Whittaker doesn’t believe Tsarukyan has developed enough to dethrone the man who is currently ranked at No.1 on the UFC’s pound-for-pound list.

“Everyone’s saying how well Arman went in his debut, short notice etc., etc. But you look at the names, you look at the level of fights, you look at the stage that Islam’s fight was set on, I don’t know, I just see … Islam’s in a really good place right now. I find it very hard to see him getting defeated.”