Ruffy On Tsarukyan Grappling Prep: 'Still Learning'

Mauricio Ruffy believes his grappling has improved enough to survive Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 331.

The Brazilian lightweight faces Tsarukyan in the co-main event on Sept. 19 in Los Angeles, meeting a fighter long considered the rightful number-one contender at 155 pounds. Ruffy told reporters during fight week that he understands what Tsarukyan will try to do and has spent camp preparing for it.

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Ruffy's Camp Focus On Takedown Defense

"My opponent's plan is the same every time I fight, to come grab me and take me down," Ruffy said, as reported by MMA Fighting. "I've been working on this, putting myself out of comfort zone. I'm here to become a better fighter. I'm still learning this sport, and I like what I'm seeing."

Ruffy owns 13 knockouts across his career and has gone the distance just once. He dropped a decision to Benoit Saint Denis in 2025 but has since rebounded with stoppages over Rafael Fiziev and former three-time Bellator champion Michael Chandler. He sits at number 10 on the Meta UFC rankings panel and number seven on the media rankings.

🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to UFC 331 on Ticketmaster →

The knockout artist stopped short of guaranteeing a finish inside Crypto.com Arena but made clear his intention to land something heavy. Tsarukyan represents the toughest grappling test of Ruffy's UFC run so far.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Mauricio Ruffy warns his grappling has vastly improved ahead of UFC 331 clash with Arman Tsarukyan: “I’m still learning”