Mauricio
Ruffy showcased improved takedown defense against Arman
Tsarukyan, but didn't anticipate the fight-ending blow at the
end of the first round.

Tsarukyan stopped Ruffy with an elbow at 4:56 of the opening round
on Sept. 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The result
strengthened Tsarukyan's position in the lightweight title picture,
while Ruffy suffered his second loss in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship. Pedro Rizzo
and Renato
“Money†Moicano recently reflected on the fight.

Mauricio Ruffy frustrated Arman Tsarukyan's wrestling before
the clinch attack produced the finish

Former UFC heavyweight title challenger Rizzo praised Ruffy's
ability to thwart Tsarukyan's wrestling before highlighting how the
latter's adjustment ultimately made the difference.

“When you start worrying too much about defense, you become too
defensive and stop attacking,†Rizzo said. “You have to give their
strategy credit. That combination of the clinch and the elbow
caught Ruffy by surprise. He had already taken two [elbows]. He
should have realized that when they broke from the clinch,
Tsarukyan was throwing a punch or an elbow. But it's important to
say that it's easy to talk from the couch. Things happen very
quickly there. It's difficult to recognize that during the first
round of a fight. So I prefer to say it was a credit to Tsarukyan
and his team.â€

Moicano, who trains at
American Top Team alongside Tsarukyan, offered a similar
assessment of the fight.

“When Ruffy started letting his hands go and frustrating Arman's
takedowns, he got desperate,†Moicano said. “I started seeing
Tsarukyan's eye swelling up. But Arman, besides being versatile on
the feet and having great cardio, is very aggressive. He kept his
composure and started using feints until he got into the clinch and
began attacking with elbows, and one of them ended the fight.â€

Moicano was slated to fight on the same card as Tsarukyan vs.
Ruffy, but his opponent, Brian
Ortega, withdrew from the matchup after sustaining a cut above
his eye. Moicano is now booked to face Tom Nolan
later this year.

Gable
Steveson has broken his silence following his stunning
12-second knockout loss.

Steveson was handed his first pro defeat by Sean
Sharaf, who pulled off one of the biggest upsets in
Ultimate Fighting Championship history. In his post-fight
statement, the Olympian addressed both the defeat and sexual
assault allegations stemming from his college years that resurfaced
during fight week.

Gable Steveson addresses Sean Sharaf upset and fight-week
allegations

Steveson and his teammate were arrested in connection with a sexual
assault allegation in 2019, but no criminal charges were ultimately
filed because of a lack of evidence. Sharaf repeatedly referenced
the allegations during fight week, turning fans against him, and
Steveson addressed those comments in a statement.

“This statement is for my family, my friends, my fans and the
people who truly know me and know the kind of man I am,†Steveson
wrote. “I know there are people who will never support me, no
matter what I say or do. That's their choice. But I'm speaking to
the people who know me not just as an athlete but as a husband and
a father to a young daughter.â€

Sharaf brought up the allegations during the pre-fight presser and
even gave Steveson the nickname “loophole,†which fans have carried
forward. The latter says he didn't commit the crime that fans are
attacking him for.

“Prior to and during fight week, an incident from my college years
was brought up by my opponent,†Steveson continued. “I believe it
was raised to get in my head but it also reopened something that
had been addressed years ago. I want to be clear — I did not do
anything alleged. I was never charged with a crime and he matter
was ultimately dropped by the district attorney. The allegations
were not ignored nor brushed aside. They were thoroughly and
heavily reviewed as I fully cooperated with law enforcement,
including a separate Title IX review. There were no criminal
charges, no conviction, and no finding of responsibility against
me. The matter was closed and there is no pending legal issue
involving me. My own attorney did their own investigation and
stated on the record that even if the law was changed, I would have
the same outcome, which now speaks for itself.â€

Steveson also directly addressed Sharaf's win, congratulating him
on the massive upset.

🚨 Gable
Steveson just released a statement following his knockout
loss:

“Prior to and during fight week, an incident from my college years
was brought up by my opponent. I believe it was raised to get in my
head, but it also reopened something that had been addressed years
ago.… pic.twitter.com/0eD6aFWaUX

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS)
September 22, 2026

Joshua
Van studies footage of fellow fighters who have a style similar
to his.

Van recently revealed that he used to flip tape of Dustin
Poirier to pick up techniques. He explains that he used to flip
the footage because he is orthodox while Poirier is a southpaw. Van
studies tape of other elite fighters like Ilia
Topuria, who have a boxing-based style like him. However, Van's
favorite fighter to study is fellow
Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder Petr Yan.

Joshua Van explains how Dustin Poirier, Petr Yan and Ilia
Topuria influence his striking

Van defended his title for the second time at UFC
331, putting his renowned boxing on display to defeat Alexandre
Pantoja in their rematch. “The Fearless†revealed in a recent
interview that he actively studies Yan's hands and incorporates
what he can into his own arsenal.

“He's got my style of fighting,†Van told Ariel Helwani. “He's a
boxing-based fighter, kind of like Petr Yan, Ilia. I like to study
one of the greats and just put it into my game… Petr Yan really is
the one that I really watch.â€

Van has emerged as a fan favorite for his fighting style. His next
challenger hasn't been revealed yet, with Manel Kape
being the frontrunner. Meanwhile, Yan is scheduled to defend his
title in a trilogy bout against Merab Dvalishvili at
UFC 333.

Joshua Van
explains why he used to flip footage of Dustin
Poirier to study his striking:

“He's got my style of fighting. He's a boxing-based fighter, kind
of like Petr Yan,
Ilia.

I like to study one of the greats and just put it into my game.

Petr
Yan really is the one that I… pic.twitter.com/i3D5dST7M5

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani)
September 22, 2026