Dana White says he's not actually sure if the UFC 331 co-headliner between Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy is a lightweight title eliminator, even though word is most fans thought the winner would be next in line for the champion. That kind of uncertainty from the top makes the September 19 card even more interesting, since a five-round war between those two now carries murkier stakes than expected. Meanwhile, the bantamweight division is still buzzing after Song Yadong knocked out Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Shanghai, a finish that hit close to home for Belal Muhammad, who said watching Nurmagomedov suffer his first career knockout loss genuinely got to him.
Sources (13)
We summarise the day's news in our own words. Full credit to the outlets below for the original reporting, click through to read their work.
- UFC Paris ‘Hooker vs. Parnasse’ play-by-play, results & round scoring (Sherdog)
- Ciryl Gane leaves the door open to Alex Pereira rematch while admitting Tom Aspinall may not be next (Bloody Elbow)
- Molly McCann believes Paddy Pimblett will win UFC belt in 2027, the same year she’ll claim boxing world title (Bloody Elbow)
- Khamzat Chimaev weighs in surprisingly light for his RAF Moscow return against heavier Tyron Woodley (Bloody Elbow)
- Dana White Unsure if UFC 331 Co-Main Event Is for LW Title Shot (Yahoo Sports)
- Belal Muhammad: Song Yadong knocking out Umar Nurmagomedov ‘broke my heart’ (MMA Fighting)
- UFC signs former KSW double champion (MMA Weekly)
- RAF Moscow Results: Chimaev vs. Woodley (MMA Fighting)
- UFC Paris Preview: Hooker vs Parnasse | UFC 332 Needs Main Event | Fighter CTE/Health Stigma (Morning Kombat)
- UFC Paris live results: Dan Hooker vs. Salahdine Parnasse updates, round-by-round scoring and highlights (Yahoo Sports)
- UFC Paris Preview Show: Can Dan Hooker spoil Salahdine Parnasse’s UFC debut? (MMA Fighting)
- UFC Signs Free-Agent Knockout Artist (Yahoo Sports)
- Nassourdine Imavov vs. Sean Strickland at UFC 335? ‘I know the date’ (MMA Mania)
Split from that day's roundup, so the sources listed are the full set behind the whole edition rather than this story alone.
This story ran in the September 5, 2026 edition of the daily show.