Tsarukyan knows a win over Ruffy may not earn a title shot

The lightweight contender refuses to assume a victory over Mauricio Ruffy will guarantee him a shot at Justin Gaethje.

Arman Tsarukyan isn’t treating the upcoming UFC 331 event as a golden ticket that guarantees a title fight afterward; instead, he knows that Mauricio Ruffy will be a tough opponent for him, and that even a victory doesn’t guarantee a title fight.

On September 19, he’ll face Mauricio Ruffy. The fight has all the makings of a title eliminator, but Arman Tsarukyan sees it a little differently. He believes that nothing is guaranteed in this sport, and that the UFC could pair him with another opponent at any time before he actually gets to fight for the title.

“In this sport, not everything is guaranteed, you’ve got to be ready; you’ve got to beat [anyone]. If they give me one more fight, I’ll beat; 10 more fights, I’ll beat, and eventually I’ll become a champion”

he said.

Arman Tsarukyan has actually been hoping for a title shot for a long time. He was originally supposed to challenge Islam Makhachev at UFC 311, but an injury during fight week caused the bout to be called off. After that, he had to watch as the division moved forward without him until he finally had to work his way back to the top.

Arman Tsarukyan actually had his sights set on the next title fight, but then Justin Gaethje suddenly defeated former champion Ilia Topuria and announced that he would no longer be fighting in 2026. This changed the situation once again. Arman Tsarukyan had previously challenged Justin Gaethje as well, when Justin Gaethje turned him down, the UFC made him another offer.

“I was waiting for the title fight, but Gaethje, he doesn’t want to fight this year, so they give me an opportunity to fight in my almost-hometown, in L.A., and I said yes”

he said.

So the lightweight division is a little confusing right now. But Arman Tsarukyan wants to keep impressing and, with a win over Mauricio Ruffy, clearly show that he should be the next logical title challenger.

I think Arman Tsarukyan definitely deserves a title shot, especially if he defeats Mauricio Ruffy. At that point, there’s really no way to bypass him, and I believe he’ll get it. What do you think? Who will be the next challenger for Justin Gaethje?