Tsarukyan Says UFC Vowed Him Title Shot for Beating Ruffy

This is an Open Scoring MMA News Alert.

When the UFC 331 bout between Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy was booked, plenty of fans and media pointed out that it looked like a bad deal for Tsarukyan, a lot of risk against a rising name with not much obvious reward if he won. According to, Tsarukyan says that framing is wrong, because the UFC has already told him a win over Ruffy puts him back in title contention.

It is easy to see why Tsarukyan would want that assurance on record. He is the number two ranked lightweight in our rankings, sitting at an Elo of 1611 over five tracked bouts, while Ruffy has climbed to number seven off the back of a first round knockout of Michael Chandler this past June. That win vaulted Ruffy into relevance fast, and it is exactly why beating him carries less obvious upside than fighting someone already sitting near the belt.

The numbers still favor Tsarukyan heavily. Ruffy's Elo of 1571, built off just seven bouts, reflects a shorter and more volatile track record than Tsarukyan's.

If Tsarukyan is right about the promise, this fight becomes far more important than a simple gatekeeper assignment. Either way, September 19 looks less like a low stakes booking and more like the next real step toward a lightweight title shot.