Arman Tsarukyan is competing at UFC 331 in Los Angeles, the site where his title shot against Islam Makhachev was cancelled when he withdrew one day before the fight in January 2025. Following that setback, which appeared likely to derail his career, Tsarukyan instead redirected his focus toward building his public profile through content creation and other ventures. He has collaborated with popular streamers and competed in freestyle wrestling, generating viral moments that expanded his fanbase and reinforced his credentials as a legitimate title contender.
Tsarukyan faces Mauricio Ruffy on Saturday in what represents a significant risk for a top-ranked lightweight. Tsarukyan holds the No. 2 ranking while Ruffy is ranked No. 7. Although a loss could substantially damage his championship prospects, Tsarukyan views remaining active as essential given the depth of the lightweight division. Other contenders including Paddy Pimblett, Quillan Salkilld and Salahdine Parnasse continue to advance, creating pressure for Tsarukyan to maintain his position and demonstrate his standing in the division.
Current lightweight champion Justin Gaethje has shown limited enthusiasm for facing Tsarukyan, recently suggesting he favors other challengers and expressing hope that Ruffy would defeat him decisively. Tsarukyan interprets this as Gaethje viewing him as an unfavorable matchup. Ruffy, meanwhile, has relocated to Australia to train alongside UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski following a move away from The Fighting Nerds. Volkanovski’s team contends Ruffy has made significant improvements in his wrestling defense, though Tsarukyan remains skeptical that one year of training can close the technical gap between them.
Tsarukyan’s stated objective is to secure an undisputed path toward a title shot by defeating Ruffy and eliminating competing narratives in the lightweight division. He has also expressed opposition to an immediate rematch between Gaethje and former champion Ilia Topuria, arguing that Gaethje’s previous dominant finish does not warrant an immediate rematch.
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