Khamzat Chimaev sees massive gap in Arman Tsarukyan-Mauricio Ruffy fight

Khamzat Chimaev believes Arman Tsarukyan will dominate Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 on September 19 in Los Angeles, citing a significant gap in wrestling and grappling that should prove decisive if Tsarukyan employs his full skill set. While Chimaev (23-3) acknowledged Ruffy (14-2) as one of the UFC's premier strikers, "Borz" stressed that Tsarukyan can hold his own on the feet as well, and possesses vastly superior submission and takedown skills. "Arman's wrestling and grappling level and Ruffy's are two completely different levels," Chimaev told analyst Adam Zubayraev, asserting that if Tsarukyan mixes his striking with aggressive grappling, victory should come without significant adversity.

Chimaev and Tsarukyan are training partners who work together at The Treigning Lab under strength coach Sam Calavitta and have previously cornered one another. Tsarukyan (23-3) had climbed toward the title picture before withdrawing from a January 2025 title bout against then-champ Islam Makhachev, but has since rebounded with five consecutive wins, most recently finishing Dan Hooker. Ruffy, meanwhile, has impressed recently with finishes over Rafael Fiziev and Michael Chandler, though he suffered a setback against Benoit St. Denis last year. Chimaev's public support and technical analysis suggests Tsarukyan enters the matchup as the favored fighter to advance his championship aspirations.