Arman Tsarukyan just can't help himself at faceoffs, and it happened again on Friday, August 14. According to MMA Fighting, Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy had to be separated at the UFC 331 press conference faceoff, the latest in a pattern of pre-fight antics that has already dinged Tsarukyan's standing with the promotion.
The tension makes sense given what's on the line. Yahoo Sports called this the highest stakes fight on the entire card, and it's easy to see why. The five round lightweight bout is being treated by some as a title eliminator, with the winner putting themselves directly into the championship picture.
Tsarukyan comes in ranked number two at lightweight with an Elo rating of 1611 built across five tracked bouts, and he's a heavy favorite here, priced at minus 305 on our tracker. Ruffy sits at number eleven in the division with a 1571 Elo across seven bouts and is priced at plus 284. Our own model leans the same way, giving Tsarukyan a 69 percent shot at a lean confidence level against Ruffy's 31 percent.
Ruffy is coming off real momentum, having finished Michael Chandler by knockout via punches in the first round back on June 14. A win over a top two contender like Tsarukyan would be an even bigger statement, while a Tsarukyan win keeps him parked outside the title conversation he's been chasing for a while.
Fans are already dissecting the whole press conference. The main event for UFC 331 is also getting a lot of attention.