Arman
Tsarukyan cemented his status as the No.1 contender at
lightweight in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship with a first-round knockout
win.

Tsarukyan knocked out Mauricio
Ruffy with back-to-back elbows in the dying seconds of the
opening round in UFC
331's co-main event at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, further
strengthening his case for a title shot.

Tsarukyan finishes Ruffy with back-to-back elbows in the UFC
331 co-main event

Tsarukyan admitted the opening minutes of the bout were challenging
after Ruffy connected with some clean strikes, but he remained
confident that he would eventually find a finish.

“I feel great,†Tsarukyan said in a post-fight interview. “I was
looking for a finish and even the first round was kind of rough,
but I knew, like, I'm going to finish him. First punches, it's
always hard to defend because both of us, we're fresh. But Ruffy is
one of the best strikers, you know, we shouldn't forget about
that.â€

“The Batman†had swelling around his eye courtesy of a punch from
Ruffy, but managed to mix his martial arts and find the finish.

“I'm such a well-rounded fighter,†Tsarukyan added. “I know, like,
with wrestling, only wrestling, you cannot win the fights. You've
got to mix it up. I made the best statement that I could do
today.â€

“I made the best statement I could
today.”

Arman
Tsarukyan (@ArmanUFC) let his
performance speak for itself tonight at #CryptoCom
#UFC331

Complete Main Card Results âž¡ï¸ https://t.co/6GSVkvH0f4

Official Scorecards: https://t.co/2L2Ig3cENB pic.twitter.com/BygFCtUWWd

— UFC News (@UFCNews)
September 20, 2026

Dana
White has pushed back against the idea that he doesn't like
Tom
Aspinall.

This comes after Aspinall vacated the
Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title amid ongoing
complications from an eye injury that prevented him from returning
to competition. He has also linked up with Eddie Hearn, who has
repeatedly criticized aspects of Aspinall's contract and the UFC
model.

The UFC boss explains why fans may have gotten the wrong idea
about Tom Aspinall

Speaking after UFC
331, White dismissed suggestions that he has a personal issue
with the former champion. He acknowledged Aspinall's injury and
revealed that the Brit is seeking further medical advice.

“No, that's not the case,†White said at the post-fight presser.
“It's the furthest thing from the truth. He's going through stuff
with the doctor. He knows it's going to be a while before he comes
back. This is totally normal.â€

White claims that certain misunderstood comments and reactions may
have created the impression that the two don’t get along.

“I think because of what I might have said or what he might have
responded to, what I said after the thing, that people think that I
don't like Tom,†White added. “It's the furthest thing from the
truth. I have no reason to not like Tom. Tom's never done anything
for me not to like him.â€

White emphasized that if he doesn't like someone, it'll be clear to
all.

Arman
Tsarukyan has completely redeemed himself after past clashes
with Dana
White and the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Tsarukyan extended his win streak to six straight and further
solidified his No.1 contender status at UFC
331 in Los Angeles with a first-round knockout win over
Mauricio
Ruffy. White praised the top-ranked lightweight at the
post-fight presser, lauding his Octagon return.

Arman Tsarukyan's knockout of Mauricio Ruffy earns major praise
from the UFC CEO

Tensions between Tsarukyan and White sparked after the former
pulled out of his lightweight title fight against Islam
Makhachev the night before weigh-ins. He later drew more
criticism from the UFC CEO for scuffles with fans and other
fighters.

White acknowledged that Tsarukyan's relationship with the UFC had
soured amidst the aforementioned events, but “The Batman†has
turned his standing with the company around.

“I've been vocal that I wasn't crazy about some of the stuff that
he'd done,†White said. “But you know what, when you f*ck up, then
you come back and you do everything the right way. I mean, he
couldn't have had a better comeback after, you know, the things
that he had done that I wasn't thrilled about.â€

White admitted that he initially believed the fight was heading in
Ruffy's favor before the elbow knockout, which earned Performance
of the Night honors.

“And then to go in and perform the way that he performed tonight,â€
White added. “At the end of that round, I was like, oh sh*t, man,
he's in for a rough night. And then boom, the elbow.
Incredible.â€