Arman Tsarukyan to Face Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331

Arman Tsarukyan will take on Mauricio Ruffy in a five-round co-main event at UFC 331, scheduled for next month in Los Angeles, where the winner may earn a shot at the lightweight title.

The anticipated rematch with Charles Oliveira has been canceled, as Tsarukyan previously defeated Oliveira at UFC 300. After that fight, plans for a rematch were in place, but the UFC decided to match Tsarukyan with Ruffy instead.

Tsarukyan has not fought since his victory over Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar last year and has faced challenges in his path to a title shot, including a withdrawal from a championship bout against Islam Makhachev at UFC 311. He enters UFC 331 on a five-fight winning streak, featuring notable knockouts of Beneil Dariush and Joaquim Silva. Ruffy, meanwhile, has been performing well, having recently defeated Rafael Fiziev and Michael Chandler, with his only loss to Benoit Saint-Denis. The outcome of this fight could position the winner for a title opportunity, especially with current champion Justin Gaethje's return date unconfirmed.