Athletes
Mauricio Ruffy Is Prepared For His Breakout Moment
Brazilian Knockout Artist Mauricio Ruffy Stands On The Brink Of Championship Contention And Plans Another Show-Stopping Performance To Earn A Title Shot.
Mauricio Ruffy is a born entertainer, and he hopes to keep delivering crowd-pleasing moments all the way to the undisputed UFC lightweight title.
Ruffy returns to action this weekend at Crypto.com UFC 331 in Los Angeles, where he’ll take on top contender Arman Tsarukyan in a huge bout for the 155-pound division. The winner would seemingly be perfectly placed to fight for the title in their next outing, and Ruffy has traveled to the ends of the earth to prepare for the most significant matchup of his career.
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His last appearance was a special one, as he competed as part of the one-of-one UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington D.C. Ruffy faced Michael Chandler in one of the most eagerly anticipated bouts on the card and produced a performance worthy of the occasion as he finished the former Bellator lightweight champion with a spinning back kick and follow-up punches to take his career record to 14-2.
Mauricio Ruffy: 'I Will Knock Arman Out' | Crypto.com UFC 331
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Mauricio Ruffy: 'I Will Knock Arman Out' | Crypto.com UFC 331
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“It was really a one-of-a-kind event, and I can't really put it into words for fans, because it was just so special, and I feel so honored to be a part of it,” he said.“It was such a big win for my career, and no one had done that with Michael Chandler before, so it was very special. And to do that in the White House was just a cherry on top, and I was very happy for the opportunity.”
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That victory pushed Ruffy towards the division’s elite, and he now stands potentially one win away from a shot at the undisputed lightweight title. Standing in his way is Arman Tsarukyan, who has championship aspirations of his own. On paper, it’s a classic grappler-versus-striker matchup, and it’s one that Ruffy was delighted to be offered.
“I’m very happy with the matchup. This is the best fight that the UFC could have given me, so I'm very grateful for the opportunity to be able to fight Arman,” he said. “They asked me to come a little more than a month to prepare for the fight. But I was already training, so that was not that big of a deal. So we're ready.”
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Ruffy recently departed his team at The Fighting Nerds in Sao Paulo and has spent some time in Australia with Alexander Volkanovski’s team at Freestyle MMA in New South Wales, Australia.
Mauricio Ruffy Puts On Clinic In KO Win Over Michael Chandler | UFC Freedom 250
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Mauricio Ruffy Puts On Clinic In KO Win Over Michael Chandler | UFC Freedom 250
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“Being able to fight and train in Australia was such a blessing,” said Ruffy. “Everyone from Freestyle MMA, having Volk with me, and even after he finished his training session, he would be with me on the mats for two hours, adjusting all the positions… Having so many people with me, helping me out, it’s just such a blessing to have Freestyle MMA and having Brad [Riddell] as our head coach and Frank [Hickman] and the whole team. It was just an amazing experience, and one of my best camps ever.”
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Ruffy revels in his fighting moniker of “One Shot” and loves nothing more than delivering a jaw-dropping finish to leave the fans stunned. That desire to surprise and impress in equal measure remains the same heading into this weekend’s fight with Ruffy hinting that he’ll head into fight night with a much more rounded MMA game.
“Every fight of mine you guys can expect something different,” he said. “It's part of what ‘Ruffy style’ is. I'll always be showing something different, and new, so all of my fans can wait for something new. Hopefully, I can show you guys everything that we've been doing in Australia, as well. It was one of the toughest camps ever in my life. So yeah, I'm eager to show you guys what we have in store for you.”
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With Ruffy facing Tsarukyan in the co-main event at Cryptocom Arena on Saturday night, the stage is set for the Brazilian to deliver another spectacular moment. And if can follow through on his gameplan, a title shot could be just around the corner.
I believe that I will knock Arman out, and that itself will be the message that my next step would be to fight for the title,” he said.
“So hopefully we'll be able to show you guys everything that we've been working on these last couple of months.”
Crypto.com UFC 331: Van vs Pantoja 2 took place live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California on September 19, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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