Longo Slams Ruffy's Team After UFC 331 Elbow KO

Legendary coach Ray Longo blasted Mauricio Ruffy and his corner for letting their guard down in the final seconds against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 331.

Tsarukyan caught Ruffy with a fight-ending elbow in the closing moments of the first round after the Brazilian had controlled the early exchanges. The knockout handed Ruffy his first finish loss since November 2019 and likely secured Tsarukyan a lightweight title shot. As BJPENN.com reported, Longo told The Anik & Florian Podcast that the sequence was a critical mistake born from complacency.

Longo on Ruffy's Late-Round Lapse

Longo said fighters who ease up with seconds remaining invite disaster. He noted that Ruffy appeared focused solely on defending takedowns and showed no awareness of strikes. The corner's failure to keep their fighter sharp through the bell was inexcusable, according to the renowned coach who has worked with former champions including Chris Weidman and Matt Serra.

Ruffy had beaten Michael Chandler and King Green in his two fights leading into the Tsarukyan bout. He has since begun training sessions with featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, per the report.

Tsarukyan moves on with momentum toward a title fight while Ruffy regroups. The UFC has not announced a return date for the 25-year-old Brazilian.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Legendary coach slams Mauricio Ruffy’s team for ‘f—— unacceptable’ mistake at UFC 331