White Praises Tsarukyan After UFC 331 Knockout

Dana White has walked back his criticism of Arman Tsarukyan after the lightweight's stunning first-round knockout of Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331.

Tsarukyan, who extended his win streak to six, stopped Ruffy with an elbow in the opening frame Saturday night in Los Angeles. The finish earned him Performance of the Night honors and appeared to repair his fractured relationship with the UFC president.

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White's Shift On Tsarukyan After Ruffy Finish

White acknowledged at the post-fight press conference that Tsarukyan's standing with the promotion had cratered after he pulled out of a lightweight title fight against Islam Makhachev the night before weigh-ins, per Sherdog. The top-ranked contender also drew heat for scuffles with fans and other fighters.

But the UFC boss credited Tsarukyan with course-correcting. "I've been vocal that I wasn't crazy about some of the stuff that he'd done," White said, according to the report. "But you know what, when you f*ck up, then you come back and you do everything the right way. I mean, he couldn't have had a better comeback."

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White admitted he thought Ruffy was taking over the fight before the knockout blow landed. Tsarukyan now appears back in line for a title shot after the dominant performance.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Dana White changes his tune on Arman Tsarukyan after UFC 331 stunner