Mauricio Ruffy stepping out of comfort zone in Arman Tsarukyan fight for ‘straight shot to the title’ at UFC 331

Mauricio Ruffy will step outside his comfort zone in the co-main event of UFC 331 on September 19, facing wrestler Arman Tsarukyan in a high-stakes lightweight bout. A win could position Ruffy for a direct path to a title shot against champion Justin Gaethje in 2027.

Ruffy is among the UFC's most explosive knockout artists, with 13 of his 14 wins coming by KO or TKO, including devastating finishes of Michael Chandler, Rafael Fiziev, and King Green. His only UFC defeat came against Benoit Saint Denis in 2025, when he was outgrappled and submitted in Paris. Tsarukyan, the original opponent for Charles Oliveira before Oliveira's teammate Allan Nascimento's death prompted a fight change, poses a similar grappling threat after focusing heavily on wrestling over the past 15 months.

Ruffy accepted the bout on short notice and has spent training camp addressing his submission vulnerability. "I've been working on this, putting myself out of my comfort zone," Ruffy told media at UFC 330 fight week. "I'm here to become a better fighter." He emphasized his knockout-first mentality: "I get into the octagon aiming for a knockout. That's what I'm going to look for." The UFC and champion Gaethje have publicly stated that victory over Tsarukyan provides a direct route to a title opportunity, giving Ruffy the motivation to perform in Los Angeles.