Tsarukyan knocks out Ruffy at UFC 331 then demands Gaethje fight him or vacate the title

Arman Tsarukyan delivered a statement performance at UFC 331, stopping Mauricio Ruffy with a pair of elbows late in the first round, before turning his attention to lightweight champion Justin Gaethje with a blunt ultimatum: accept the fight or walk away from the title.

The finish further cemented Tsarukyan’s standing as the division’s top-ranked contender at 155 pounds, and at the post-fight press conference the Armenian made clear he has little faith that Gaethje will willingly step up to face him.

“He never says my name, so he’s scared,” Tsarukyan said. “He knows he wanted Ruffy to knock me out, so it means he’s trying to avoid me. And he’s gonna try to call out Ilia Topuria or tell UFC, ‘I want 15 million for Arman Tsarukyan, or I’m retired,’ and he’s gonna play around on the bullsh*t game.”

Tsarukyan believes Gaethje’s silence is calculated, suggesting the champion is wary of the stylistic problems the matchup would present. Despite that frustration, he says he is unbothered by the uncertainty and is focused solely on reaching the title, regardless of who holds it.

“Either he’s gonna fight me or he’s got to leave the title,” Tsarukyan added. “Give the opportunity for the young guys. We have a lot of contenders right now. I don’t care, to be honest. I just want to fight for the title and become champion, no matter who’s gonna be against me.”

This is not Tsarukyan’s first brush with a UFC lightweight title shot. He was originally scheduled to challenge then-champion Islam Makhachev earlier in 2025, but withdrew from the bout just hours before the weigh-ins — a decision that drew significant criticism from the promotion. He has since recorded two finishes in succession, rebuilding both his momentum and his standing within the division.

With two consecutive stoppages now on his record and the No. 1 contender spot firmly in hand, Tsarukyan’s case for the next lightweight title fight is difficult to ignore. Whether Gaethje responds to the challenge — publicly or inside the octagon — remains to be seen.