Arman Tsarukyan, the A-lister of UFC 331, is walking into the Octagon this Saturday night in Los Angeles with his entire championship dream on the line. The No. 2-ranked lightweight has flat out said his title aspirations are finished if he loses against Mauricio Ruffy. Talk about high stakes for a guy who pulled out of that scheduled lightweight title fight at UFC 311 against Islam Makhachev, a move that definitely sullied his reputation with the promotion.
The People’s Main Event: Tsarukyan’s High-Wire Act
This isn’t just an undercard bout, folks, this is absolutely the people’s main event! Tsarukyan is unequivocally the biggest star on the entire card, and he’s returning to the very site of his career’s most pivotal moment. It’s wild to see him fighting further from a title shot than expected right now, but man, has he grown into a much bigger star in the process. His championship aspirations are definitely finished if he loses Saturday, and that’s a huge, huge risk against the No. 7-ranked Mauricio Ruffy. This Brazilian KO machine has reinvented himself, training under featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski after Benoit Saint Denis dominated him with wrestling last year. Ruffy’s coaches are already raving about his improved defensive grappling, but Tsarukyan is another beast entirely. Can Ruffy keep the fight standing? If he does, few lightweights can truly match his thrilling knockout power. A beatdown of Tsarukyan would immediately announce Ruffy as a serious title contender, and that’s exactly what makes this fight an absolute must-watch this weekend.
Olympic Gold Meets the Octagon: Steveson’s Next Step
Then there’s Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson, the rising star who is clearly taking another step in his development under the tutelage of the legendary Jon Jones. Steveson is making a quick turnaround after his successful promotional debut at UFC 329, now facing U.S. Marine Sean Sharaf. Honestly, the intrigue here is more about Steveson’s approach than the bout’s overall competitiveness. In his debut, he largely contested the fight on his feet. He even got touched up a little, but mostly dominated an overmatched opponent without truly unleashing his world-class wrestling. Will we finally see that wrestling weapon unleashed this Saturday in Los Angeles? Everyone’s curious to find out what Jon Jones has been teaching him.
UFC 331’s return to the City of Angels promises an action-packed adventure, assembling knockout artists, gritty veterans, and rising stars. The main event alone, Joshua Van defending his flyweight title against the battle-tested veteran Alexandre Pantoja, is a compelling rematch where Van took the title last year. Those Hollywood themes are repeating throughout the entire card, with thrilling martial artists like “The Korean Superboy” Dooho Choi also set to perform, and he rarely disappoints. Get ready for an incredible night of fights this Saturday!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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