Tsarukyan dismisses Ruffy's star-studded camp ahead of UFC 331 title eliminator

Arman Tsarukyan has declared himself superior to Mauricio Ruffy in every facet of mixed martial arts, dismissing the Brazilian’s high-profile training camp as irrelevant ahead of their five-round co-main event at UFC 331 in Los Angeles on Saturday.

Ruffy has spent his preparation working alongside UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya — a camp designed to sharpen the striking that has made him one of the most feared lightweights in the division. Tsarukyan is not impressed.

“You cannot compare Adesanya with me, and you cannot compare Volkanovski with me,” Tsarukyan told reporters at UFC 331 Media Day. “They’re completely different fighters. Yeah, he has power, and he has good striking, but I’m better everywhere. So with my wrestling and my striking that I can mix, I can always strike [with] him.”

Tsarukyan does concede that Ruffy poses a genuine early threat. The Brazilian enters the fight on the back of back-to-back knockout victories over Rafael Fiziev and Michael Chandler, and his unorthodox striking style has given Tsarukyan pause for thought — at least in the opening minutes.

“He has a really awkward style,” Tsarukyan said. “I’ve never faced anybody like his striking. So it’s gonna be a little bit dangerous first round, but second round should be good.”

The bout carries title-eliminator implications at lightweight, where Justin Gaethje currently holds the belt. Tsarukyan is riding a five-fight winning streak and is widely regarded as the division’s most deserving contender. One potential complication is former champion Ilia Topuria, who has been lobbying for a rematch with Gaethje and has claimed Gaethje cheated by loading his gloves during their recent fight. Tsarukyan is dismissive of that argument.

“He’s complaining about gloves, but [it’s] just [an] excuse,” Tsarukyan said.

When asked directly whether a win over Ruffy guarantees him a shot at Gaethje, Tsarukyan offered a two-word answer: “100 percent.”

UFC 331 takes place at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, with the card headlined by a flyweight title fight between champion Alexandre Pantoja and challenger Joshua Van.