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Arman Tsarukyan will not rematch Charles Oliveira at UFC 331, but instead face Mauricio Ruffy.
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After weeks of rumors about a potential Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) vs. Oliveira rematch on the Sept. 19 card at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the promotion announced Wednesday that it will be Ruffy (14-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in the five-round co-main event.
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Oliveira has displayed grieving online over the shocking recent death of his longtime teammate, UFC flyweight Allan Nascimento, which may explain why he's not participating at UFC 331.
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However, Ruffy, No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie lightweight rankings, brings momentum in the matchup with Tsarukyan after back-to-back knockout win over Michael Chandler and Rafael Fiziev.
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No. 3-ranked Tsarukyan, meanwhile, returns to the same city where he withdrew from his scheduled UFC 311 lightweight title fight vs. Islam Makhachev on weigh-in day in January 2025. He's fought just once since then MMA, defeating Dan Hooker by submission at UFC Fight Night 265 in Qatar in November, but has been ultra-active in wrestlings matched under the RAF banner, as well as a bevy of other grappling matches.
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This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy five-round bout among UFC 331 additions
Continue reading...
\n
After weeks of rumors about a potential Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) vs. Oliveira rematch on the Sept. 19 card at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, the promotion announced Wednesday that it will be Ruffy (14-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in the five-round co-main event.
\n
\n
Oliveira has displayed grieving online over the shocking recent death of his longtime teammate, UFC flyweight Allan Nascimento, which may explain why he's not participating at UFC 331.
\n
However, Ruffy, No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie lightweight rankings, brings momentum in the matchup with Tsarukyan after back-to-back knockout win over Michael Chandler and Rafael Fiziev.
\n
No. 3-ranked Tsarukyan, meanwhile, returns to the same city where he withdrew from his scheduled UFC 311 lightweight title fight vs. Islam Makhachev on weigh-in day in January 2025. He's fought just once since then MMA, defeating Dan Hooker by submission at UFC Fight Night 265 in Qatar in November, but has been ultra-active in wrestlings matched under the RAF banner, as well as a bevy of other grappling matches.
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The latest UFC 331 lineup includes:
\n- Champion Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja – for flyweight title
- Mauricio Ruffy vs. Arman Tsarukyan
- Doo Ho Choi vs. Patricio Freire
- Renato Moicano vs. Brian Ortega
- Iwo Baraniewski vs. Alonzo Menifield
- Sean Sharaf vs. Gable Steveson
- Charles Jourdain vs. Marlon Vera
- Robelis Despaigne vs. Tai Tuivasa
- Brunno Ferreira vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
- Joanderson Brito vs. Giga Chikadze
- Casey O'Neill vs. Eduarda Moura
- Ozzy Diaz vs. Ryan Gandra
- Michael Aswell Jr. vs. Joosang Yoo
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy five-round bout among UFC 331 additions
Continue reading...
