Arman Tsarukyan singles out Mauricio Ruffy's biggest weapon ahead of UFC 331
Arman Tsarukyan breaks down Mauricio Ruffy’s striking ahead of their UFC 331 clash and reveals what he believes could make the difference inside the octagon.
UFC star Arman Tsarukyan will be in action against Mauricio Ruffy in the co-main event at UFC 331. The event will go down at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
Ahead of the highly anticipated fight. Tsarukyan has broken down Ruffy's striking arsenal and identified one particular weapon he believes could pose a threat inside the octagon.
Arman Tsarukyan identifies Mauricio Ruffy’s biggest weapon
Tsarukyan sat down with former UFC fighter-turned-analyst Chael Sonnen for UFC on Paramount+, where the Armenian was asked about what Ruffy does well inside the octagon.
‘Ahalkalakets’ praised Ruffy’s striking prowess and identified his right hand as his biggest threat.
“He does well striking,” Tsarukyan said. “So, he has a good right hand, left hook, kicks, okay, and the spinning kick very well, but like mostly it's a right straight hand.”
Ruffy's striking has been his most lethal weapon inside the octagon, and he has produced several highlight-reel knockouts during his UFC career. Many fans believe his explosive style reminds them of Conor McGregor.
That said, Ruffy's game plan was completely neutralized by Benoit Saint Denis' grappling, and he was submitted in the second round in September last year, marking his first and only UFC loss.
The game plan BSD used against Ruffy could provide the blueprint for Tsarukyan to secure a victory. The Armenian is predominantly a wrestler, and he will likely look to neutralize the Brazilian's striking by taking him down and hunting for a submission as soon as he finds an opening.
Arman Tsarukyan doubts Mauricio Ruffy can stop his wrestling for five rounds
Tsarukyan vs. Ruffy is a classic wrestler-versus-striker matchup. The Armenian will likely look to shoot for a takedown as soon as the bell rings, while the Brazilian will look to use his striking to hunt for a knockout against the 29-year-old.
In the aforementioned interview, Sonnen pointed out Ruffy’s claim that he has excellent takedown defense. The 29-year-old Tsarukyan acknowledged that the Brazilian may be able to stop his first few attempts but questioned whether the 30-year-old can maintain that defense for all 25 minutes.
“He can stop me my first takedown, second takedown, but what about if I'm going to shoot 25 minutes, how he's gonna stop?”, Tsarukyan said.
Check out Arman Tsarukyan's Interview below:
Ruffy will enter UFC 331 with plenty of confidence after finishing Michael Chandler at UFC 250. Meanwhile, Tsarukyan will look to replicate the performance he delivered against Dan Hooker in November, when he secured a second-round submission in his most recent UFC outing.
