Arman Tsarukyan On His Title Chances

Arman Tsarukyan is treating his September 19 fight against Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 as make-or-break for his title hopes.

"I'm taking Mauricio Ruffy as an opponent for my title fight. Every fight for me is important. I give all of myself in [my] training camp. If I lose this fight, I'm never going to see a title fight. That's why I'm super motivated for this fight, super hungry. I've been working so hard for that moment," Tsarukyan

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Tsarukyan's team believes a win puts him next in line for a shot at lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, though Dana White has stopped short of confirming that. Tsarukyan's path to a title shot has been rocky since being pulled from a planned fight with Islam Makhachev in early 2025, a situation that strained his relationship with UFC leadership. Taking the Ruffy fight is seen as having helped repair some of that standing.

Gaethje isn't expected back until 2027 due to hand injuries, leaving the lightweight picture in flux in the meantime.