Demetrious Johnson credits his clinch lesson in Tsarukyan's UFC 331 elbow KO

Arman Tsarukyan’s first-round elbow knockout of Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 carried a familiar fingerprint, according to Demetrious Johnson — one the Hall of Famer says he helped put there. Tsarukyan finished Ruffy at 4:56 of the opening round, using a clinch position that Johnson claims was a direct product of the pair’s time training together.

Johnson broke down the finish on his YouTube channel, pointing to the moment Tsarukyan had Ruffy pinned against the Octagon wall. Rather than defaulting to a takedown attempt, Tsarukyan stayed upright and attacked with the elbow that ended the fight — a choice Johnson says he specifically coached.

“Now, instead of just wrestling here, like I said, you don’t have to wrestle here,” Johnson said. “Look, he’s already here. That’s one of the things I showed him. Usually people want to wrestle here, but I told him, ‘You don’t have to wrestle.’” Johnson also outlined a preferred striking sequence from the same position: stripping the opponent’s hand, landing a left hook to the body, then a right straight to the head.

The knockout further strengthened Tsarukyan’s case for a shot at the UFC lightweight title, and Johnson wasted little time making that argument explicit. He named current champion Justin Gaethje as the only fight that matters for Tsarukyan next, dismissing any suggestion that Ilia Topuria should take precedence.

“Those are things that he’s going to need when he takes on Justin Gaethje, because Justin can push the pace,” Johnson said. “He can do a lot of damage. He can wrestle, too. This is the fight that needs to happen. We don’t need to worry about Ilia Topuria. This man is owed a title shot.”

Johnson’s endorsement carries weight in the lightweight conversation. As one of the most technically decorated fighters in MMA history, his assessment of Tsarukyan’s clinch evolution adds a credible voice to the growing chorus calling for the Armenian contender to receive his long-awaited title opportunity.