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Tsarukyan's brutal elbow KO at UFC 331 puts him in line for Gaethje's lightweight title

Arman Tsarukyan delivered a vicious first-round elbow knockout over Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 on Saturday, extending his winning streak to six and all but securing a shot at Justin Gaethje's UFC lightweight title.

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Tsarukyan's brutal elbow KO at UFC 331 puts him in line for Gaethje's lightweight title
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Arman Tsarukyan made his case for a UFC lightweight title shot impossible to ignore at UFC 331 on Saturday, stopping Mauricio Ruffy in the first round with a brutal elbow knockout that left his peers calling him the division’s next champion.

Ruffy made life difficult early, holding firm with takedown defence to neutralise Tsarukyan’s preferred ground game. But the Armenian-Russian contender eventually forced his way into close range, landing a cracking elbow that visibly stunned Ruffy. A second elbow followed immediately, putting Ruffy flat on the canvas and ending the contest.

The finish extended Tsarukyan’s winning streak to six, and he was candid about his intentions afterward, saying he knew a stoppage was necessary to convince UFC matchmakers to book him against lightweight champion Justin Gaethje. On the evidence of Saturday night, the argument appears settled.

Fellow professionals were quick to weigh in after the fight, with several anointing Tsarukyan as the man to beat at 155 pounds and the inevitable next challenger for Gaethje’s belt.

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