Mauricio Ruffy Says UFC 331 Winner Gets Lightweight Title Shot
Mauricio Ruffy says his UFC 331 fight with Arman Tsarukyan is a No. 1 contender bout, with the winner next in line for a lightweight title shot against Justin Gaethje. The Brazilian told Main Event TV that the promotion has already framed the assignment that way.
Ruffy is not describing a hope or a personal demand. He is describing a deal.
“That’s the agreement with the UFC,” Ruffy told Main Event TV.
The line lands in a crowded title picture. Gaethje became undisputed champion on June 14, stopping Ilia Topuria by fourth-round TKO at UFC Freedom 250, and he has given no sign he will defend the belt again in 2026.
That delay is the reason Tsarukyan is fighting at all this fall. The No. 2 ranked lightweight had been waiting on Gaethje, then took a five-round co-main event in Los Angeles to stay active.
Tsarukyan has said UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell told him a win over Ruffy would put him in against Gaethje. He has also said he does not see the same jump for Ruffy and believes the Brazilian would most likely need another fight even if he won.
Ruffy is now putting the opposite version on the record. In his account, UFC 331 is a No. 1 contender fight for both men, not a title eliminator for Tsarukyan only.
They meet on Sept. 19 in the co-main event of UFC 331 at Crypto.com Arena. Flyweight champion Joshua Van defends against Alexandre Pantoja in the main event.
Tsarukyan, 29, is 23-3 overall and 10-2 in the UFC. He last fought in November, when he submitted Dan Hooker, and he has won five consecutive octagon bouts.
Ruffy, 30, is 14-2 as a professional and 5-1 inside the UFC. He is ranked No. 10 at lightweight and has finished 13 of his 14 wins by knockout.
His last two fights were stoppages of Rafael Fiziev at UFC 325 and Michael Chandler on the White House card. The only loss on his UFC record is a September 2025 submission to Benoit Saint Denis.
The booking itself was a late turn. Tsarukyan had been expected to rematch Charles Oliveira before Oliveira withdrew after the death of teammate Allan Nascimento, and Ruffy took the fight on short notice.
That context makes Ruffy’s claim larger than a standard pre-fight quote. A ranked knockout artist is saying the UFC has already promised him the same title access it dangled in front of a longtime title-adjacent wrestler.
The matchup still has to justify that promise. Tsarukyan’s wrestling is the central problem for a fighter whose UFC defeat came on the ground, and Ruffy has to prove the finish streak travels against a higher-ranked grappler.
A Ruffy win would also cut past several names still listed above him, including Topuria, Oliveira, Max Holloway, and Paddy Pimblett. That is why Tsarukyan’s earlier comments matter, and why Ruffy’s reply matters more.
None of this has been confirmed in a public UFC statement calling the fight an official title eliminator. The strongest language so far is coming from the two men booked to fight.
Gaethje’s return date remains unset. Any lightweight title fight would wait on the champion, which means the winner in Los Angeles is competing for the next shot, not an immediate date.
Ruffy has already said that shot is the agreement. He and Tsarukyan settle the argument on Sept. 19 at UFC 331, with Gaethje’s belt as the prize Ruffy says is waiting for the winner.