Ruffy On Tsarukyan KO: Carelessness Cost Me

Mauricio Ruffy has taken responsibility for the late stoppage that ended his UFC 331 co-main event against Arman Tsarukyan, pinning the loss on a defensive lapse in the final seconds of the opening frame.

Ruffy rocked Tsarukyan early at UFC 331, closing the Armenian's eye and defending every takedown attempt through most of the round. With ten seconds remaining and Tsarukyan clinging to his legs against the cage, Ruffy heard the final-seconds warning clap and made a calculated decision to let his opponent burn energy rather than escape the clinch. Four seconds later, Tsarukyan landed the fight-ending elbow.

Ruffy Says He Felt Victory Was Seconds Away

In a statement posted to Instagram, Ruffy explained he believed the contest was trending his way. "When I got that flash knockdown and felt his strength starting to fade, I felt the fight in my control," he said, per MMA Fighting. He noted Tsarukyan's grip weakening on the failed takedowns and the damage accumulating around the swollen eye. Ruffy was confident he would finish the bout in the second round.

The Brazilian acknowledged he had options to peel off the fence or throw strikes but chose to let the exchange play out. "I just got careless," Ruffy said, as reported by Sherdog. "I relaxed on defense, which I normally don't do. So I paid the price for that." He apologised to fans for the outcome and vowed to learn from the mistake.

Ruffy drops to 14-3 with the loss, his second knockout defeat in the UFC alongside an earlier setback to Benoit St. Denis. Tsarukyan improves to 24-3 and has been promised the next lightweight title shot by the promotion, according to the Armenian's camp.

Original reporting:

• sherdog.com — Mauricio Ruffy reveals costly mistake before Arman Tsarukyan KO
• bjpenn.com — Mauricio Ruffy blames 'carelessness' for KO loss against Arman Tsarukyan : "I paid the price for that" | BJPenn.com