Edson Barboza calls UFC 331 star an ‘improved version of me’

Recently retired UFC veteran Edson Barboza has offered his assessment of an upcoming lightweight showdown between rising Brazilian prospect Mauricio Ruffy and Arman Tsarukyan, scheduled as the UFC 331 co-main event on September 19 in Los Angeles. Barboza, who has trained extensively with Tsarukyan at American Top Team, believes Ruffy represents an "improved version" of himself and ranks among his favorite fighters to watch currently.

Barboza drew comparisons between Ruffy and Anderson Silva, praising the Brazilian's creativity and striking prowess while emphasizing his finishing potential. "Ruffy is one of my favorite fighters right now," Barboza said. "He's extremely creative and skilled, and he reminds me of Anderson Silva. He just needs one opportunity to finish a fight. I'd say he's the improved version of me."

For Tsarukyan, Barboza offered a detailed analysis informed by their shared training background, likening the Armenian-American grappler to Khabib Nurmagomedov, whom Barboza faced in 2017. "He's impressive. If he needs to, he'll come at you 10,000 times until he takes you down," Barboza noted. "Khabib had more pressure and controls you more, but Arman is different. He's always looking to advance and find the finish." Barboza concluded by hyping the matchup as a classic striker-versus-grappler battle not to be missed.