Eddie Alvarez has an interesting opinion on who could be more trouble for UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.
As Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) takes the rest of 2026 off after an upset ******* le win over Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250, Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy will battle in a potential No. 1 contender bout at UFC 331 on Sept. 19 from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Although Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) is more well rounded and has the far better resume than Ruffy (14-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), Alvarez sees Ruffy being a tougher challenge for the champion.
"I actually like Justin's chances a lot against Arman," Alvarez told MMA Junkie. "I think that style against Arman, that's an easier style. I think that's an easier style for Justin than against Ruffy. I think if Arman and Ruffy fight, I think Arman probably wins. But the style matchup that's worse for Gaethje is against Ruffy. Even though it's MMA math and Ruffy loses against Arman, I think Justin has an easier time with Arman."
Former UFC lightweight champion Alvarez broke down why he sees Ruffy presenting a tougher challenge for Gaethje.

#arman #gaethje #tsarukyan

Colby Covington may not be all done in MMA.
Despite announcing his retirement in May, the former UFC **** le challenger is still leaving the door open for another go in the octagon. Covington revealed to MMA Junkie that the main reason he retired was so he could aggressively pursue his wrestling career in Real American Freestyle – something he couldn't do as an active UFC fighter.
Covington is 4-0 under RAF and recently claimed the inaugural RAF Cruiserweight Crossover Championship with a win over top UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan.
"I'm technically retired, technically, but that was just the red proverbial tape I needed to get by so I could get the biggest matchups in RAF," Covington told MMA Junkie. "Everybody knows my first love and passion was always wrestling. My dad got me into wrestling as a kid; it was a family business. He wrestled his whole life. His family, his dad wrestled, so I was just following in the lineage of the generations, following the family tree in the wrestling business. It was always my first true love and passion."
Covington's retirement from MMA might've surprised some, as he was looking to fight at the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House in June. But with him not getting a spot on the card and not seeing interesting matchups outside of fighting at the White House, Covington just thought it would make more sense to focus on RAF, where he's also an investor.

#covington #House

Former UFC contender Tony Ferguson returns to the boxing ring Sept. 26 on the undercard of Henry Cejudo vs. "Deen The Great."
Ferguson will take on former professional soccer player Kenzo Biyong in a five-round boxing match for Misfits Boxing at James L. Knight Center in Miami.
Ferguson, 42, is 2-0 under the Misfits banner with one pro win and one exhibition win. He hasn't competed in striking competition since December when he beat Warren Spencer by unanimous decision. Prior to that, he defeated Nathaniel Bustamante, also known as "Salt Papi," by third-round TKO stoppage.
Since those boxing bouts, Ferguson took a wrestling match for RAF, which he lost to Arman Tsarukyan by technical fall.
Biyong, 28, has dabbled in combat sports before, though this will be his first outing involving striking. In April, he competed at UFC BJJ 7 and was quickly submitted by Raphael Ferreira.

#boxing #competed

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 14: (L-R) Opponents Joshua Van of Myanmar and Alexandre Pantoja of Brazil face off during the UFC 331 press conference at Xfinity Mobile Arena on August 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)
The next numbered event on the UFC schedule takes place on Saturday, September 19, from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. That event, UFC 331, is headlined by a ***** le fight and a possible ***** le eliminator. In the UFC 331 main event, current flyweight champion Joshua Van puts his ***** le on the line against the man he defeated for that crown, Alexandre Pantoja. Meanwhile, in the co-main event, Arman Tsarukyan meets Mauricio Ruffy in a lightweight contest that could determine the next foe for 155-pound champion Justin Gaethje. We look at the opening betting odds and early line movement for the two fights at the top of the UFC 331 marquee.
Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Maurício Ruffy
Patrício Pitbull vs. Choi Doo-ho
Renato Moicano vs. Brian Ortega
Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski
Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf
Marlon Vera vs. Charles Jourdain
Tai Tuivasa vs. Robelis Despaigne
Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Brunno Ferreira
Giga Chikadze vs. Joanderson Brito
Casey O'Neill vs. Eduarda Moura
Ryan Gandra vs. Osman Diaz
Michael Aswell Jr. vs. Yoo Joo-sang

#alexandre #Event #august #arena

PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov had some choice words for the UFC's top-ranked lightweights.
Nurmagomedov (22-0) is a free agent after retaining his belt with a first-round knockout out Archie Colgan at PFL New York last month. The 28-year-old is looking to either re-sign with the PFL or ink a deal with the UFC.
Nurmagomedov has beaten all of PFL's top lightweights, including Paul Hughes twice. He disagrees with the notion that the best fighters are only in the UFC, and picked apart the current rankings and matchups that have taken place in the octagon.
"There's a narrative that if you don't compete in the UFC, you're not on that high level, and I don't agree with that," Nurmagomedov told Sport24 (h/t Red Corner MMA). "Just look at the guys who are in the UFC top 10. They just keep fighting each other and maintain their top-10 spots. Benoit Saint Denis, he was 4-0 then lost to Dustin Poirier, then he lost to (Renato) Moicano, and won three times after that, and then lost in the first round within 30 seconds (vs. Pimblett), but he's still in the top five, oddly enough.
"Pimblett lost to a 37-year-old veteran, but he's the No. 1 contender now, right? Or No. 2. 17-0 Topuria, who had been praising himself as the greatest, he lost, quit on the stool, saying he wasn't going to continue. Arman (Tsarukyan), he lost to (Mateusz) Gamrot, he lost to Islam (Makhachef). He is just waiting it out, fighting once a year and saying he's the best fighter in the world. While he fought twice, I defended my **** le four times. The UFC PR machine is very powerful. The brand is very solid, but I wouldn't say they all put on such great fights."

#pimblett #twice

PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov hasn't entered the UFC yet, but he's already talking trash about the quality of opposition he may face when he gets there.
Nurmagomedov fought the last fight on his PFL contract last month, and recently revealed he turned down a $2 million per fight offer from the organization in order to wait out the 90 day exclusive negotiation period and see what other promotions might offer him. Promotions like the UFC, where he could finally get his due as one of the best lightweights in the world.
In an interview with Sport24, Usman pushed back on the idea that the top fighters are all in the UFC.
"They say if you don't fight in the UFC, it's not the same level. I disagree with this," he said. "Just look at the guys in the UFC who sit in the top 10 and they just fight amongst themselves and keep the top ten closed. For example, Benoit Saint Denis. Won 4, lost to Dustin Poirier, lost to 'Money' Moicano, lost 3 more. Lost in 30 seconds. [Michael] Chandler. Top 15. He's there. Lost to [Paddy] Pimblett."
"[Ilia] Topuria, who praised himself endlessly, lost. Quit on the stool. Said 'I don't wanna continue.' Arman [Tsarukyan] lost to [Mateusz] Gamrot, and he lost to Islam [Makhachev]. He sits, waits a year, fights once, and says that he is the best wrestler in the world. While he had two fights, I made four ****** le defenses."

#fight #promotions #best #World

Mike Perry will not be fighting Dillon Danis this weekend in Orlando, Fla.
Perry made the announcement during Thursday's Duel Arena 1 pre-fight press conference. On 48-hours notice, former UFC fight Brandon Jenkins stepped in to face "Platinum" at Kia Center. The bout headlines the fight card.
"Let's not beat around the bush. This p*ssy ****** b*tch Dillon Danis didn't show the f*ck up," Perry said. "He's not here. He backed the f*ck out because he's a p*ssy.
"I want to give a shout out to my new opponent Brandon Jenkins. He's getting on a plane right now. He's flying here to weigh in the morning like a professional and fight me on Saturday night."
Danis pulling out of fights is nothing new. He last fought MMA in August 2025, defeating Warren Spencer at Misfits 22. He's had freestyle wresting matches in RAF against Colby Covington and Khamzat Chimaev earlier this year and is scheduled to face Arman Tsarukyan for the inaugural RAF Middleweight Crossover Championship in the main event on October 3, 2026 at RAF 14.

#jenkins #here #mike #orlando

Umar Nurmagomedov thinks his brother, Usman Nurmagomedov, can compete with the UFC's best.
Usman (22-0), who became a free agent after knocking out Archie Colgan at PFL New York last month, could be UFC bound if he opts not to re-sign with PFL. His older brother Umar raved about his work ethic, and thinks he's ready for the elite of the UFC's lightweight division – including champion Justin Gaethje.
"He's an amazing fighter, and I'm a huge fan of his," Nurmagomedov told MMA Junkie of Usman. "I like how he spars, how he works, how he does everything as a professional. And even in the cage, he shows he's a high-level fighter. I think he can be competitive with anybody in the world.
"Sometimes people think in other promotions, (they're) bad fighters, but it's not like that. For example, Shabliy is one of the toughest guys, Alexandr Shabliy. Even Arman (Tsarukyan) knows that because he sparred with him a lot. He knows how he's tough, and I think Usman can compete with anybody in the world. Gaethje, Ilia (Topuria), Arman, (Mauricio) Ruffy, anybody."
Their teammate, UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, has openly said he wants to see Usman in the UFC. Nurmagomedov on the other hand, wasn't as direct with his opinion.

#arman

Real American Freestyle is changing the schedule for two upcoming events.
Thursday, the wrestling promotion announced RAF 13 and RAF 14 will have new dates, while keeping the same location and venue.
RAF 13 was scheduled to take place Saturday, Sept. 19 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Fla. It will now take place a day earlier, on Friday, Sept. 18. RAF 13 is headlined by a matchup between former welterweight champions Colby Covington and Belal Muhammad. The event also features former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold vs. contender Joe Pyfer.
RAF 14 was scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, and now moves to Friday, Oct. 23. RAF 14 is headlined by a match between UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan and Dillon Danis.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: RAF 13, RAF 14 move to new dates, promotion announces

#saturday #scheduled #take

A **** le shot is on the line for Mauricio Ruffy as well at UFC 331.
Ruffy (14-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) meets top contender Arman Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in a five-round co-main event on Sept. 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Tsarukyan has long been considered the rightful No. 1 contender, whereas Ruffy has a big opportunity to knock him off his position. Ruffy scored two-straight knockouts of Rafael Fiziev and Michael Chandler, and aims to leapfrog other contenders by beating Tsarukyan – at least that's what he's been told.
"That's the agreement with the UFC," Ruffy told Fox Sports Australia through an interpreter. "That's the last step to make. Let's make it happen."
Tsarukyan is a big favorite over Ruffy, and the Brazilian is aware of how good he is. However, after moving camps to train with UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, Ruffy feels he has bridged the gap to compete with the division's elite.

#told #mauricio

No. 7 ranked lightweight contender Mauricio Ruffy has an enormous opportunity and challenge in front of him. The Brazilian faces No. 2 ranked Arman Tsarukyan in the UFC 331 co-main event on Sept. 19 in Los Angeles and a win would put the 30 year-old squarely in the ***** le shot conversation.
"I worked for this. I dream of this. This is what I want. I know that this is a straight opportunity to a ***** le shot. I've dreamed a lot about this and we've gotten it. On the way to a ***** le," Ruffy told UFC on Paramount +.
Questioned about his approach to defeating Tsarukyan and overcoming the Armenian
Russian's grappling, Ruffy said he'll let actions speak for themselves.
"Talking, anyone can talk. But I like to walk. I'll let the actions do the talking," he said. "We know the wrestling is going to be something that's strong, but I'd rather show what's happening.
"I know he is a very tough fighter. He's actually probably the most challenging fighter that's going to be presented to me. It's a challenge. I've trained a lot for this. I'd rather us not talk and show people. I'm ready. I'm excited. I'm ready to go."

#title #talking

Unfinished business gets the Hollywood treatment.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight champion Joshua Van defends his ******* le for the second time in a rematch against former 125-pound kingpin Alexandre Pantoja in UFC 331's main event on Sat., Sept. 19, 2026, inside Crypto.com Arena—formerly known as Staples Center—in Los Angeles, California.
In the co-main event, No. 2-ranked Lightweight and almost-title challenger Arman Tsarukyan finally returns to action against Brazilian knockout artist Mauricio Ruffy in a five-round fight with major championship implications.
Today, the promotion released UFC 331's official marketing poster on social media.
Check it out below:

#title #hollywood #fighting #flyweight

Arman Tsarukyan has his Octagon return set in stone. Instead of the long-awaited and endlessly evasive UFC ******* le shot he continues to pursue, the top-ranked lightweight will collide with rising contender Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 on Sept. 19 in Los Angeles.
Outside of MMA, Tsarukyan has been on every kind of side quest imaginable in 2026. He hasn't fought since a second-round submission of Dan Hooker in November. Over that time, Tsaurkyan, 29, has gone 7-1 in wrestling matches with Real American Freestyle (RAF) and racked up a 3-0-1 record in submission grappling matches.
Tsarukyan revealed on Monday's "The Ariel Helwani Show" that a rematch against Charles Oliveira was originally on tap for his UFC return bout.
"I was supposed to fight with Charles, co-main event, five rounds," Tsarukyan said. "Then I went for my training camp, and they, in two weeks, when I was in the mountains, called me and said, 'We got a new name for you. It's Ruffy.' I said, 'OK. No problem.'
"I don't want to pull out and wait for Charles, because [it's] LA, five rounds, it's a big card, and I have not fought in long time. I need this fight, so yeah, that's all."

#ruffy #return #fight

Arman Tsarukyan knows that nothing in the fight game is guaranteed.
19 months ago, Tsarukyan was set to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight ******* le at UFC 311; however, during fight week, Tsarukyan suffered an injury that forced him out of the bout. Tsarukyan's last-minute withdrawal and subsequent outside-the-cage issues led the UFC to pass him over for a ******* le shot on several occasions, even after he weighed in as a backup fighter for the vacant ******* le fight at UFC 317 and then finished Dana Hooker at UFC Qatar in November.
Now, Tsarukyan is set to face Mauricio Ruffy in the co-main event of UFC 331 next month, and even if he wins, "Batman" knows that still might not ensure his next fight is for the belt.
"In this sport, not everything is guaranteed," Tsarukyan told MMA Fighting. "You've got to be ready; you've got to beat [anyone]. If they give me one more fight, I'll beat; 10 more fights, I'll beat, and eventually I'll become a champion."
Tsarukyan had hoped that his next outing would be for the lightweight ******* le; however, after Justin Gaethje upset Ilia Topuria at UFC White House to claim the belt, "The Highlight" made it clear he had no interest in fighting again in 2026. As such, Tsarukyan made the easy choice to stay active.

#you 've

Dana White wasn't taking any risks with Arman Tsarukyan.
On Friday, the UFC held its first press conference for next month's UFC 331 card, which takes place in Los Angeles and is headlined by a flyweight ***** le rematch between Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja. The co-main event for the card is a lightweight ***** le eliminator bout between Tsarukyan and Maurio Ruffy, and when it came time for Tsarukyan and Ruffy to face off after the press conference, Dana White was not about to let Tsarukyan do anything crazy.
Tsarukyan has become notorious in recent years for his tomfoolery outside of the cage, infamously headbutting Dan Hooker at their final faceoff before their fight at UFC Qatar last year. So, when the two came together for the first time and Ruffy held a fist out, White immediately intervened when Tsarukyan began to walk forward and had the two pulled apart to prevent any mishaps.
The main event faceoff was perhaps even more intense. Van and Pantoja argued throughout much of the press conference beforehand, with Pantoja even attempting to confront Van, so when the two finally came face-to-face, things got quite chippy.
UFC 331 takes place on Sep. 19 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

#tsarukyan #came #dana

PHILADELPHIA – The build to UFC 331 is officially underway after the kick-off press conference on Friday featuring top athletes from the card.
UFC 331 takes place Sept. 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles (Paramount+), and featured a flyweight **** le rematch in the main event. Champion Joshua Van (16-2 MMA, 10-1 UFC) attempts to make his second defense against former champion Alexandre Pantoja (30-6 MMA, 14-4 UFC) in an essential rebooking from when the belt switched hands in December after Pantoja suffered an arm injury just seconds into the contest.
The co-headliner, meanwhile, sees Arman Tsarukyan (23-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) looks to further solidify a lightweight **** le shot against Mauricio Ruffy (14-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who can achieve a trajectory-changing win of his own in the 155-pound **** le scene.
All four athletes were on hand to answer questions from reporters about UFC 331, then afterward participated in their first set of faceoffs.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Video: UFC 331 first faceoffs with Van vs. Pantoja 2, Tsarukyan vs. Ruffy

#tsarukyan #first #philadelphia

IanGarry says he had no intent of starting a feud with KhamzatChimaev.

Garry defeated BelalMuhammad last November, with ArmanTsarukyan finishing Dan Hooker inthe main event of the same card in Doha, Qatar. Chimaev, who was inTsarukyan's corner, then had an altercation with Garry backstage,which "The Future" recently revisited.
Garry shook hands with the entire team and also patted Chimaev onthe back. The latter then seemingly felt provoked and pushed Garrybefore security stepped in.

Garry recently shared his side of the story, claiming he had nomalicious intent when he was greeting Chimaev and his entire team.The Irishman also notes that Chimaev didn't immediately react whenhe patted him. Garry claims Chimaev was fired up only after peoplestepped in between them. He believes Chimaev would have gottenphysical when they were in proximity if he really wanted to.

"Me and Khamzat aren't boys," Garry told Full Send MMA. "When I goto a team and there's Arman Tsarukyan tying his shoelace, I saidcongrats to him, I said congrats to his other coach and congrats toone more. And I leave one guy out and I didn't see him. And I go,'Oh sh*t, sorry champ, how are you?' We were cool, we were fine atthat point. It was only when someone stepped in between us that itwas a problem. If he wanted to suplex me and put me on my skull, hewould have done it when I [leaned on him]. Go watch my bodylanguage again… In no way, shape, or form was it aggressive. It waspurely out of respect; there was no mal intent."

Chimaev (15-1) lost his middleweight **** le to SeanStrickland in a massive upset this past May. The Chechen-bornfighter is now rallying for a rematch against Strickland.Meanwhile, Garry (17-1) is scheduled to challenge IslamMakhachev (28-1) for the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight **** le in the mainevent of UFC330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.

#intent #team #recently

ArmanTsarukyan will return to compete on Real American Freestyleless than two weeks after his next Ultimate Fighting Championship bout.

The UFC lightweight is scheduled to face DillonDanis at RAF 14 on Oct. 3 at Fontainebleau in Las Vegas. Thewrestling promotion recently announced that the match will becontested for the RAF middleweight crossover championship. The newscomes less than one week after the UFC announced Tsarukyan (23-3)will face MauricioRuffy (14-2) at UFC331 on Sept. 19 in Los Angeles.
Tsarukyan has fought just once in 2024 and once in 2025, with hislatest victory in mixed martial arts coming against Dan Hooker inNovember last year. However, he's competed in 15 wrestling andsubmission grappling matches over the last two years, goingunbeaten in all but one. In his last wrestling match under the RAFbanner, he was outpointed by ColbyCovington.

He has collected victories over LancePalmer, Georgio Poullas, UrijahFaber, KeelonJimison, TonyFerguson and KuatKhamitov in RAF so far. His next outing will be against Danisin October at RAF 14 in Las Vegas. Danis will attempt to snap atwo-fight losing streak under the RAF banner. The jiu jitsuspecialist lost to Covington in March before falling to former UFCmiddleweight champion KhamzatChimaev in June.

Before returning to RAF, Tsarukyan will face Ruffy at UFC 331.Danis will also compete in MMA before meeting Tsarukyan, as he isbooked to face Mike Perryin the Duel Arena 1 main event on Aug. 29 in Orlando, Florida,looking to extend his record to 4-0.

#vegas #championship

This is the live blog for Mateusz Gamrot vs. Quillan Salkilld, the lightweight main event for Saturday's UFC Vegas 120 fight card at the newly renovated Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
Gamrot enters the headliner after flip-flopping wins and losses over his past five bouts. In his most recent outing, the former KSW champion submitted Esteban Ribovics with an arm-triangle choke in the second round at UFC 327 in April. This will be Gamrot's third UFC headliner, going 1-1 in octagon main events with a decision win over Arman Tsarukyan, and suffering a first-round stoppage loss to Charles Oliveira this past October at UFC Rio.
Salkilld gets his first UFC main event spot after winning his first five bouts inside the octagon. The 26-year-old has stopped four of his five opponents and earning four bonuses — including his first-round TKO victory against Beneil Dariush at UFC Perth in May.
Check out the UFC Vegas 120 live blog below.
Closing Odds

#first #gamrot #live #blog

In a game of small distinctions, Mateusz Gamrot — who fights this weekend against Quillan Salkilld at the UFC Apex — has a pretty good one in that he beat Arman Tsarukyan back in 2022. This is an excellent feat by industry standards. In the last six years, 10 other men have tried do just that and 10 men have failed. Most recently, Dan Hooker came up woefully short in his attempt. Tsarukyan submitted Hooker in the second round of their fight last November and made it look relatively easy in doing so.
With five straight wins, Tsarukyan is good enough for other fighters to measure their own standards of greatness, which is its own small distinction.
Yet, despite Dana White pinky swearing that Tsarukyan would be next for a ******* le shot if he beat Hooker in Qatar, here we are over eight months later and … guess what?
He still hasn't fought for the ******* le. And it doesn't appear he will anytime soon.
On Wednesday, the UFC announced that Tsarukyan will face Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 in September, in a five-round non-title fight, meaning it's exceedingly unlikely he'll fight for the belt in 2026. Though it's a fine fight — in fact it's crazy good, far more intriguing than a rematch with Charles Oliveira, even if it were for the BMF — it can't help but feel like Arman is forever on the outside looking in. He has been in Dana's doghouse since he backed out of his ******* le chance at the eleventh hour of UFC 311 with an injury, and he didn't do himself any favors by headbutting Hooker during the face-offs in Qatar.

#good #standards

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently announced the upcoming UFC 331 event on Paramount+, locked and loaded for Sat., Sept. 19, 2026 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. Headlining the "City of Angels" fight card will be the flyweight championship rematch pitting Joshua Van (c) against Alexandre Pantoja, a rematch from their UFC 323 ***** le fight that ended in injury.
In the UFC 331 co-main event, Arman Tsarukyan will continue his march back toward a second lightweight ***** le shot when he collides with Brazilian bruiser Mauricio Ruffy. In heavyweight action, Olympic hero Gable Steveson logs his second fight for UFC against the unheralded Sean Sharaf while karate whiz kid Robelis Despaigne gets a another shot at Octagon glory opposite Australian punching bag Tai Tuivasa.
BetOnline.ag with the opening odds:
Joshua Van -105
Alexandre Pantoja -120
Arman Tsarukyan -400
Mauricio Ruffy +315

#pantoja #arman

For weeks rumors have swirled that a rematch between former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira and No. 2 ranked contender Arman Tsarukyan was all but signed, sealed and delivered. The fight promotion had other plans.
Tsarukyan (23-3) will instead face No. 7 ranked Mauricio Ruffy (14-2) in the UFC 331 co-main event in a five-round fight. UFC 331 takes place on Sept. 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and is headlined by a flyweight championship rematch between ***** leholder Joshua Van and former champion Alexandre Pantoja.
Tsarukyan will enter the bout riding a five-fight winning streak. He last fought at UFC Fight Night 265 last November defeating Dan Hooker via submission. The finish earned him a 'Performance of the Night' bonus.
Ruffy has won back-to-back fights and is coming off a TKO win over Michael Chandler at the UFC Freedom 250 event at The White House in June.
The event will mark the promotion's sixth visit to Los Angeles but the first in eight years. The last time the octagon was in L.A. was for UFC 227 in August 2018.

#last #rematch #former

A rematch is on tap for Cali.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is headed back to Crypto.com Arena — a.k.a. Staples Center — in Los Angeles, California, for UFC 331 on Sat., Sept. 19, 2026, and the promotion is bringing a pretty loaded card with it.
In the main event, UFC Flyweight champion Joshua Van runs it back with longtime champion Alexandre Pantoja after their first encounter ended in an awful injury.
In the co-main event, No. 2-ranked Lightweight and almost-title challenger Arman Tsarukyan finally returns to action against Brazilian knockout artist Mauricio Ruffy in a five-round fight with major ***** le implications.
Pantoja and Van collided in the co-main event of UFC 323, but the fight lasted only 26 seconds after then-champion Pantoja dislocated his elbow and Van became champion in one of the most unfortunate ***** le changes in recent memory.

#main #fight #cali #fighting

The main event for UFC 331 is finally set with Joshua Van defending his flyweight ***** le in a rematch against former champion Alexandre Pantoja, who is now healthy and ready to compete again.
In the co-main event, Arman Tsarukyan faces Mauricio Ruffy in a five-round fight between lightweights who are both jockeying for a ***** le shot against current champion Justin Gaethje.
The main event features Pantoja making his return to action after a freak injury ended his dominant ***** le reign in his first fight against Van in 2025. Pantoja fell awkwardly during an exchange and his arm popped, which forced the fight to be stopped in the opening round.
While he recovered, Van took over as UFC flyweight champion and made a successful defense of his ***** le in a potential Fight of the Year candidate against Tatsuro Taira in May. Now Van looks to settle any debates about his championship reign when he faces Pantoja in a rematch now scheduled for September.
In the co-main event, widely considered the top lightweight contender in the UFC, Tsarukyan returns after spending the better part of the past year making a name for himself in RAF where he's been wrestling almost every month. Now he gets back to business in the UFC trying to build on his five-fight win streak, which includes wins over Charles Oliveira, Beneil Dariush and Dan Hooker.

#flyweight

Perhaps Justin Gaethje is willing to stick around for some big fights.
Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) likely cemented his status as a UFC Hall of Famer when he claimed undisputed lightweight gold by stunning Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 in June. "The Highlight" pondered retirement, but it didn't take long for him to walk back that thought – even though the likes of Georges St-Pierre are encouraging him to.
Lightweight contenders, such as Arman Tsarukyan, Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway, are all options for Gaethje's next fight, but are they what he's looking for?
"(In) 2027 we will see Justin Gaethje fighting," Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie. "He fought two times this year. He deserves the time off. He's still the lightweight champion, undisputed, and I think all these guys have to chase him. But he wants to be in a big fight – a big, big fight. What is the big fight? Who decides that? It's Dana White who decides what's the biggest fight they can make."
From the WSOF ****** le to the BMF belt to now UFC lightweight champion, Abdelaziz said his longtime client has done it all.

#perhaps #hall

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 26: President and CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship Dana White speaks at a press conference following fight night at Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden on July 26, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images)
Don't get me wrong; I'm going to sit down and happily watch UFC 330, but I'd be lying if I said the card looks great on paper. I've seen some amazing action come from cards that looked otherwise uninteresting. We won't need unexpected magic to emerge from UFC 331 — especially if the unconfirmed, but rumored battle between Arman Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira gets added. As it is, two big additions to the card were announced on Wednesday.
Heavyweight prospect Gable Steveson is back in action after his successful UFC debut. He takes on Sean Sharaf. Also in the heavyweight division, the returning Robelis Despaigne faces free-falling, but popular heavyweight, Tai Tuivasa. Let's talk MMA.
Everything confirmed on UFC 331:
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026

#ultimate #fighting #championship #dana

The UFC still hasn't officially announced the main or co-main event for UFC 331 on September 19th in Los Angeles, but reliable reports have Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan set to fight for the second time on the card.
Oliveira and Tsarukyan fought for the first time at UFC 300, which saw Tsarukyan take a razor-thin split decision win. There's plenty of arguments amongst "Do Bronx" and "Akhalkalakets" fans as to who really deserved the judges' nod. And then there's Dustin Poirier, who believes a wardrobe malfunction cost Oliveira a first round submission win.
"Listen, it was a close fight, but they had a malfunction with the clothing that saved Arman," Poirier said on the Deep Waters podcast. "I don't know how **** ody else is talking about this. Coming from a guy who knows how to miss guillotines, he would have gotten that guillotine if those shorts wouldn't have slipped off."
Oliveira did indeed catch Tsarukyan in an extremely tight guillotine in the first round of their UFC 300 fight, only for Tsarukyan's pants to slip off past his **** as the Georgian fighter escaped.
"The shorts slipped off and it allowed him to get out of Charles' guard," Poirier insisted. "Pull that up, HQ. He had full guard, locked in guillotine. Arman started to get his hips down, his shorts came down which allowed Charles' guard to come off and saved Arman. It saved him."

#fight

Real American Freestyle Wrestling
Real American Freestyle's next event is set and stacked with star power. On Saturday, July 18 in Milwaukee, RAF 11 emanates from UW - Milwaukee Panther Arena and the show will be headlined by Colby Covington and Arman Tsarukyan.
The co-main event is special as it features the return of American wrestling great and combat sports legend, Ben Askren. Let's talk RAF.
Event: RAF 11: Tsarukyan vs. Covington
Date: Saturday, July 18, 2026

Real American Freestyle (RAF) recently created a “Crossover Championship” **** le for those athletes crossing over from other sports to compete on the RAF wrestling mats. The new belt will debut as part of the RAF 11 lineup this weekend (July 18) at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in Milwaukee, where UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan tangles with former UFC welterweight Colby Covington.
They are competing to be the champion of combatants who “cross over” but in the case of Covington, he’s not crossing back, having recently been released from his UFC contract. At the very least, it will be an opportunity for “Chaos” to win his first **** le after going 0-3 in fights for the undisputed UFC strap. Similarly, this will be the first **** le shot for Tsarukyan after “Ahalkalakets” botched his UFC 311 headliner back in early 2025.
This weekend’s headliner will be contested at catchweight for the cruiserweight championship.
Here’s their first face off:
RAF 11 streams exclusively on FOX Nation.

LAS VEGAS – Paddy Pimblett is certain the UFC lightweight **** le is in his future.
Pimblett (24-4 MMA, 8-1 UFC) bounced back from his interim **** le loss to Justin Gaethje by making quick work of Benoit Saint Denis (18-3 MMA, 9-4 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. When asked what he'd like next, he didn't have a specific name in mind, but he made sure to voice his UFC championship ambitions.
"I want to be a world champion," Pimblett said at the UFC 329 post-fight press conference. "I want to be the undisputed champion of the world. I want to be the first-ever world champion from Liverpool, and I'm going to do that. I know that's in my destiny. I know it's in my fate. Whether it's the next fight or the next 10 fights, I'm going to be a world champion. It's that simple. If you want me to fight Justin (Gaethje) next, if you want me to fight posh boy (Arman Tsarukyan) next, if you want me to fight 'chorizo' (Ilia Topuria) next, if you want me to fight Charles (Oliveira) next, anyone can get it."
Pimblett entered UFC 329 as an underdog, and highly-doubted by many. For him, it's another day at the office, as he feels history repeats itself with him.
"Yeah, the goalposts will get moved," Pimblett said. "Everyone will say, 'Huh, BSD was sh*t anyway.' You know what I mean? When two days ago it was, 'BSD, he's going to smash Paddy. His grappling is way better. He's got too much power for him,' this and that. People just love moving the goalposts with me, and I don't give a f*ck. Move them all you want. As long as I keep winning, I keep getting paid and keep making steps toward being a world champion. You can say what you want. Anyone can say what they want about me. Simple."