Arman Tsarukyan predicts finish against Mauricio Ruffy
The No. 2 lightweight contender believes his well-rounded game will be too much for the Brazilian striker.
Arman Tsarukyan is confident he can stop Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331. The Armenian fighter will face the Brazilian in a five-round lightweight bout on Saturday in Los Angeles, looking to strengthen his position near the top of the division. While Tsarukyan acknowledges that Ruffy is a dangerous striker, he also believes his more complete MMA game will give him the advantage in the fight.
Arman Tsarukyan Sees an Advantage on the Ground
About to face the No. 7 lightweight contender, Tsarukyan admitted that he had not watched many of Ruffy's fights before the matchup was booked. However, the Armenian began studying the Brazilian once the fight was agreed upon and believes he has identified a path to victory. Speaking to Ag Fight, Tsarukyan praised Ruffy's striking and physicality but argued that the matchup could favor him if the fight becomes a complete MMA contest.
"I hadn't watched many of his fights before this fight was booked," Tsarukyan began. "But I started watching his fights and learning about him. He's a very good striker. He's big for our weight class. He's a great fighter, but I'm better than him. I know my style, and I know how I can beat him. It's going to be a striker against a complete MMA fighter. If we go to the striking, I don't know who wins. I believe my striking is good. Striking in MMA is completely different. He's good at striking, but he's not the best on the ground."
Although Ruffy has spent part of his training camp working on his grappling in Australia with Alexander Volkanovski, Tsarukyan is particularly confident that he can exploit his opponent's weaknesses on the ground.
Arman Tsarukyan Predicts a Finish
Despite Ruffy's knockout power and recent TKO victories over Rafael Fiziev and Michael Chandler, Tsarukyan does not expect the fight to go the distance. In fact, the Armenian is confident he can finish the Brazilian before the championship rounds.
"My prediction is a finish in the second or third round," Tsarukyan said. "We have to be confident, because why would we be if we weren't confident?"
Tsarukyan enters the matchup riding a five-fight winning streak and has won 10 of his last 11 UFC fights. A victory over Ruffy would strengthen his position near the top of the lightweight division and potentially put him in line for another title opportunity.
