Alexander Volkanovski Says Arman Tsarukyan Could Panic if Ruffy Stays Up
Alexander Volkanovski thinks Arman Tsarukyan will start making mistakes if he cannot put Mauricio Ruffy on the mat at UFC 331. The featherweight champion broke down the co-main as a wrestler who needs easy entries against a striker who will not give them up.
The five-round lightweight bout is set for Saturday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Tsarukyan is the No. 2 contender at 23-3. Ruffy is 14-2 after back-to-back knockouts of Rafael Fiziev and Michael Chandler.
Volkanovski has more than a pundit’s view. Ruffy has been training with his group in Australia, and the champion has been in the Brazilian’s corner.
“You don’t really wanna be caught with Arman, with anyone, especially if you wanna keep it standing,” Volkanovski said. “He’s gonna try and grab them single legs.”
That is the plan Tsarukyan has used on most of the division. He submitted Dan Hooker in November and has built his title case on wrestling that arrives early and stays late.
Volkanovski’s read is that those shots will not be sitting there. He said the work his team has done with Ruffy is aimed at forcing Tsarukyan into a fight he does not want.
“I think Arman’s gonna have a hard time finding the easy shots, sort of panicking, being forced to fight a fight he’s not comfortable with, trying to shoot,” Volkanovski said. “If they don’t come, you’re gonna start to see some really, really big mistakes from Arman.”
He described the next stage as reckless entries. When the singles stop landing, Volkanovski said Tsarukyan either starts shooting wild or starts throwing the wrong strikes.
“Or is he gonna start shooting more recklessly,” Volkanovski said. “You’re gonna see Arman panic, throw the wrong shots, and then Ruffy startin’ to land some big shots.”
That is the risk Tsarukyan has already acknowledged. He has said a loss on Saturday ends his title path, and he has warned himself not to stand in Ruffy’s pocket just to prove a point.
The booking itself is a replacement. Tsarukyan was pointed toward a Charles Oliveira rematch before that fight fell through, and Ruffy stepped in as the co-main opposite a title rematch between flyweight champion Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja.
Ruffy’s wrestling used to be the hole. Benoit Saint Denis exposed it in 2025, which is part of why he left Fighting Nerds for Volkanovski’s room.
Coach Joe Lopez has said even Volkanovski now has trouble holding Ruffy down in the gym. That is the detail behind the champion’s prediction, not a generic warning about power.
Tsarukyan remains the betting favorite because of the grappling gap on paper. Volkanovski’s point is that the paper changes if the takedowns never stick.
UFC 331 is five days away. Volkanovski then turns toward Movsar Evloev and a featherweight title defense at UFC 333 on Oct. 24.
Until then his public read on the lightweight co-main is simple. If Tsarukyan cannot find the singles, Volkanovski expects panic, bad shots, and Ruffy’s power coming the other way.