MMA
Arman Tsarukyan admits he may never get title shot if he loses UFC 331 bout against Mauricio Ruffy
Published
1 month agoon
Real American FreestyleArman Tsarukyan believes there is a big risk fighting Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331, and he's taking it as a good or die situation.
Tsarukyan and Ruffy are scheduled to collide on Sept. 19 in Los Angeles. “Batman's†team is under the belief that a lightweight title fight against Justin Gaethje will be granted with a win, but UFC CEO Dana White isn't committing to it just yet. While Tsarukyan thinks a win will bring him closer to the promised man, he feels a defeat could be disastrous.
In a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, Tsarukyan said a UFC title fight may never be in the cards for him if he can't get past Ruffy.
“I'm taking Mauricio Ruffy as an opponent for my title fight,†Tsarukyan said. “Every fight for me is important. I give all of myself in [my] training camp. “If I lose this fight, I'm never going to see a title fight. That's why I'm super motivated for this fight, super hungry. I've been working so hard for that moment.â€
While Tsarukyan has long been viewed as the rightful No. 1 contender, his removal from a planned championship fight with Islam Makhachev back in early 2025 led to a dicey relationship with the UFC brass. White also claimed that issues behind the scenes did “Batman†no favors. It appears Tsarukyan's efforts on social media and his willingness to take the Ruffy fight may have helped sway things in his favor.
If Tsarukyan can defeat Ruffy in convincing fashion, it would be difficult to deny him a title fight with Gaethje at some point in 2027. Gaethje is expected to remain sidelined for the rest of 2026 due to hand injuries. What transpires in the 155-pound division in the meanwhile will be interesting to watch.
Do you think Arman Tsarukyan is facing a must-win situation at UFC 331 against Mauricio Ruffy? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
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MMA
Movsar Evloev warns Alexander Volkanovski: He hasnt beaten anyone like me
Published
15 hours agoon
October 23, 2026
Evloev says he has pushed himself harder than ever ahead of his
first UFC title shot.
Evloev (20-0) is scheduled to challenge Alexander
Volkanovski (28-4) for the
Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight title at
UFC 333 on Oct. 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Ahead of the
bout, the unbeaten Russian discussed how his preparations have
differed from previous training camps.
Movsar Evloev details toughest training camp ahead of Alexander
Volkanovski title fight at UFC 333
Evloev said he increased his workload across all aspects of
training to address any potential weaknesses. He believes that
preparation will help him showcase his abilities in Saturday's main
event.
“This preparation is different just because I pushed more than
ever,†Evloev said in a pre-fight interview. “And we did more of
everything to make sure we didn't miss anything. He hasn't beaten
anyone like me. There's many things that make me special, like
unique. And I'm about to show it Saturday.â€
Evloev has long been considered a leading featherweight contender,
with Volkanovski acknowledging him as the most deserving
challenger. However, Diego Lopes
received a title rematch against Volkanovski earlier this year
before Evloev earned his opportunity. The Russian's lack of UFC
finishes has fueled debate about his wait for a championship bout,
though the promotion has not established it as the reason for the
delay.
“This is the moment I’ve been waiting for.”
Movsar
Evloev (@MovsarUFC) discusses his journey to the title shot and
his title fight matchup against champ Alexander
Volkanovski @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi |
@ParamountPlus https://t.co/fWuJJ7I2sz— UFC News (@UFCNews)
October 21, 2026
MMA
Joshua Van: Sean Strickland ‘in a bad spot’ in Dana White feud over UFC pay
Published
16 hours agoon
October 23, 2026
Joshua Van sides with UFC boss Dana White in his public feud with Sean Strickland.
For Van, the UFC's flyweight champion, the matter should have been discussed behind closed doors instead of a public forum like social media.
“He just signed a contract in May and fought Khamzat, and then he won,†Van told Outta Pocket. “Instead of going on Twitter and going on all that [expletive], he should have talked to Dana and said, ‘I wanna renegotiate.' Behind closed doors. Then the boss would have been like, ‘OK, let's talk about this, what you want?' You just beat the boogeyman. Now it's a whole mess.â€
“If you work at a 9-to-5 job and you go off to your boss and you're like, pay me this much. Like, what the [expletive]? You know what I mean? So he's in a bad spot right now. He's still under the contract. I don't know how that's gonna work.â€
A 25-year-old flyweight champion who started his professional MMA career when Strickland already had 14 UFC bouts under his belt, Van agrees with Strickland that fighters should get paid more.
However, he doesn't sound unhappy with his current UFC contract. Van recently defended his 125-pound belt with a decision over Alexandre Pantoja, his third title bout win in a span of 10 months, including a fifth-round TKO over Tatsuro Taira in the co-main event of Chimaev vs. Strickland.
“I'm getting paid good,†Van said with a laugh. “I think they pay me good amount; I don't know, but fighter that think they deserve more or—like, should we get paid more? Yes, but, I don't know, I'm happy where I'm at. I start from zero to now, the UFC literally made me where I'm at, gave me everything that I got right now. I don't know, I'm happy right now. I can't really say for the other guy.â€
MMA
UFC 333 prop odds: Krylov-Yakhyaev favored for fastest finish
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1 day agoon
October 22, 2026
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