- 1 Tsarukyan vs Ruffy: two straight finishes for the Brazilian, the Armenian hunting a fresh crack at the title
- 2 Arman Tsarukyan: elite lightweight grappling, but questions over sharpness
- 3 Mauricio Ruffy: the knockout threat, with a much-improved grappling game
- 4 UFC 331 prediction Tsarukyan vs Ruffy
- 5 First, a word on our free picks
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes fast
- 8 Your part
- 9 Responsible play first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Tsarukyan vs Ruffy: two straight finishes for the Brazilian, the Armenian hunting a fresh crack at the title 
Mauricio Ruffy has stopped Rafael Fiziev and Michael Chandler in 2026. Across the cage, Arman Tsarukyan heads into the UFC 331 co-main event as the world’s No. 1 lightweight.
The action is set for 20 September 2026 in Los Angeles. The winner gets the next shot at Justin Gaethje’s title.
Both men arrive on opposite runs. Ruffy is rolling after back-to-back wins, while Tsarukyan is looking to prove he still belongs in the title picture after a quiet spell.
The UFC 331 co-main pits two very different MMA styles against each other: Armenian wrestling against Brazilian striking. It is as simple as that, and just as hard to call.
Arman Tsarukyan: elite lightweight grappling, but questions over sharpness 
Tsarukyan (23-3, 29 years old) is the best wrestler in the lightweight top five. His ability to hunt legs, grind opponents against the fence and set the pace on the mat makes him the technical pick against most of the division.
The record backs it up: 10 wins in 12 UFC fights, with recent victories over Dan Hooker (submission R2, November 2025), Charles Oliveira (UFC 300, 2024) and Beneil Dariush.
The game plan is obvious. Tsarukyan will shoot for takedowns, pin Ruffy to the cage, wear him down and bank rounds on the cards. He will not want to trade with one of the most dangerous hitters in the sport.
The only question mark is timing. The Russian has had a small gap in recent competition before this clash. Rust is hard to measure, but Ruffy’s camp will be looking to test it from the opening bell.
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Mauricio Ruffy: the knockout threat, with a much-improved grappling game 
Ruffy (14-2, 30 years old) is the division’s most dangerous attacker. His two wins in 2026 have only confirmed what plenty already suspected: he can finish anyone, anytime.
Against Fiziev, a man known for vicious striking, Ruffy imposed his style and closed the show in round two. Against Chandler, he ended it with a spinning wheel kick in round one. Two elite opponents, two stoppages.
Ruffy’s coach has stressed one point ahead of UFC 331: the work done on the ground over the past few months. The Brazilian is no longer as vulnerable to grappling as he was two years ago. If Tsarukyan does not land his takedowns cleanly and quickly, he could find himself in a rough spot.
Alexander Volkanovski, the former featherweight champion, has painted the nightmare for Tsarukyan: a missed first takedown, panic, mistakes, and a Ruffy finish. Michael Chandler, who has already taken the Brazilian’s shots, agrees.
Arman Tsarukyan record: 23 wins – 3 losses. UFC world’s No. 1 lightweight. Last fight: submission win over Dan Hooker (November 2025).
Mauricio Ruffy record: 14 wins (13 KO/TKO) – 2 losses. Two straight wins in 2026: Fiziev (TKO R2) and Chandler (TKO R1).
UFC 331 prediction Tsarukyan vs Ruffy
Our pick: Under 3.5 rounds
Both profiles point to a finish before round four. Ruffy has ended 13 of his 14 wins by KO or TKO — he is the division’s most reliable finisher. Tsarukyan is hardly a slouch either: 15 of his 23 wins have come inside the distance, by submission or KO/TKO.
When an elite wrestler faces a striker with a 93% finish rate, two outcomes jump out: either the takedown lands and Tsarukyan hunts the submission, or he misses and Ruffy lands something heavy. Either way, a points win does not look the likeliest script.
Chandler and Fiziev did not survive the third round against the Brazilian. Tsarukyan has the tools to last, but Ruffy’s constant pressure and both men hunting the finish make a long fight unlikely. The call is a stoppage before the round four horn.
Photo credit: Carmen Mandato / GETTY IMAGES
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