Dana White intervenes to prevent faceoff shenanigans between Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy

UFC President Dana White stepped in to prevent potential chaos at Friday's UFC 331 press conference in Los Angeles, physically separating Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy before their faceoff could escalate.

Tsarukyan, the lightweight contender, has earned a reputation for antics outside the cage—most notably headbutting opponent Dan Hooker during their faceoff before their UFC Qatar bout last year. When Ruffy extended a fist for a traditional face-to-face greeting, White immediately recognized the risk and pulled the two fighters apart before Tsarukyan could advance further, cutting short the encounter before any incident could occur.

The press conference, held to promote the September 19 card headlined by a flyweight title rematch between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja, saw considerable tension throughout. Pantoja and Van engaged in heated arguments during the media availability, with Pantoja even attempting to confront Van before the official faceoff. When the two finally met face-to-face at the conclusion of the event, their exchange became notably chippy, though without the intervention required for Tsarukyan and Ruffy.

UFC 331 takes place September 19 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The card features Tsarukyan versus Ruffy as the co-main event—a lightweight title eliminator bout—with the Van-Pantoja flyweight title rematch serving as the headliner.