Arman Tsarukyan staked his claim to the next UFC lightweight title fight last night (Saturday, September 19, 2026) at UFC 331 LIVE on Paramount+ at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California with a devastating knockout (elbows) over Ruffys dangerous challenger Mauri in the first round.
Coming into the UFC 331 main event as a heavy betting favorite, Tsarukyan needed a finish to punch his ticket to his first UFC gold. The talented lightweight has had the skills to compete for a UFC title for a few years now, but has been UFC doghouse too much to earn it. A spectacular finish was needed on Saturday night and Tsarukyan did just that.
Despite being knocked down early in the first round and struggling to take down Luffy, Tsarukyan kept busy and pinned Luffy against the octagon cage. After the 10-second buzzer sounded, Tsarukyan looked for a window to isolate and ground the offense of hitting the buzzer. The lightweight contender found his opportunity and landed a perfectly placed left elbow to Luffy’s face that put him out instantly. Luffy fell against Tsarukyan as another elbow landed just in time before the referee got over.
It was the biggest statement Tsarukyan could make and arguably his biggest UFC performance to date. Check out the video highlights below:
Click for complete UFC 331 results, coverage and highlights HERE.
