Dana White Reveals Last-Minute Change for UFC 331 Co-Main Event

Dana White has acknowledged a last-minute adjustment to the co-main event of UFC 331. The event, scheduled for September 19 in Los Angeles, features a flyweight title rematch between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja, along with a lightweight bout between Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy.

Tsarukyan was originally slated to compete against Charles Oliveira, but that matchup was canceled after the unexpected death of Oliveira's teammate, Allan Nascimento, who passed away on August 3. White confirmed that Ruffy was not the initial choice for Tsarukyan's opponent during a discussion at Zuffa Boxing's event in Dublin, Ireland.

Despite the change, Tsarukyan is reportedly assured a title shot if he secures a victory over Ruffy, as a gesture for accommodating the opponent switch. Ruffy aims to disrupt these plans at the Crypto.com Arena next month.