Borralho warns Tsarukyan he will 'get knocked out' if he trades strikes with Ruffy at UFC 331

Caio Borralho has issued a stark warning to Arman Tsarukyan ahead of UFC 331 in Los Angeles on Saturday: try to strike with Mauricio Ruffy and you will pay for it. The middleweight contender, a former training partner of Ruffy’s, believes the Brazilian’s one-punch knockout power gives him a decisive edge on the feet in what he otherwise calls a 50-50 co-main event.

“I think Ruffy has the one-shot knockout power that he can turn off anyone in the division,” Borralho told MMA Fighting. “I think if Arman wants to strike him, even if it’s a little bit, he’s going to get knocked out. But I think if he’s trying to wrestle at least the first two or three rounds, I think it’s going to be harder for Mauricio to keep the pace and strategy, the calm.”

Tsarukyan enters the bout on a five-fight winning streak in the UFC, with victories over Charles Oliveira and Dan Hooker among the highlights. He spent recent months competing in wrestling and grappling matches outside the promotion while waiting for a new opponent and date. Ruffy, meanwhile, has built serious momentum with back-to-back knockouts of Rafael Fiziev and Michael Chandler in 2026, establishing himself as one of the most dangerous finishers in the lightweight division.

The winner is expected to position themselves as the next contender for the lightweight title in 2027, adding significant weight to an already compelling matchup.

Borralho also weighed in on another high-stakes fight involving his team, drawing a parallel between the Tsarukyan-Ruffy bout and teammate Carlos Prates’ welterweight title challenge against Islam Makhachev.

“I think it’s a dangerous matchup for both guys,” Borralho said of Prates versus Makhachev. “I don’t think Makhachev ever fought a guy like Prates that hurts you, makes you feel pain with the leg kicks and all that stuff. On the other way, he has the grappling — this is the antidote to the striking.”

Makhachev recently defended his 170-pound title with a decision over Ian Machado Garry, moving to 2-0 at welterweight since vacating the lightweight throne. Prates has lost only once in the UFC — that defeat also coming against Garry — and has finished every other opponent inside the distance.

Borralho pointed to signs of fatigue in Makhachev’s last outing as a potential opening for Prates. “We saw he got tired in his last fight like he’s not used to,” he said. “And I think if he got tired like that against a guy like Carlos, he’s gonna get hurt. But I think he has a massive chance to finish this fight too — submit Carlos or anything like that, because he has very good jiu-jitsu. In general, hard matchup for both guys.”