Arman Tsarukyan will earn title shot with UFC 331 win, claims Ariel Helwani
A win at UFC 331 will finally earn Arman Tsarukyan a long-awaited crack at the lightweight title, at least according to Ariel Helwani.
At UFC 331, Arman Tsarukyan will fight for the first time since late last year, taking on another hungry lightweight in Mauricio Ruffy. The fight, which will be the co-main event of the card, will also be a title eliminator according to renowned MMA journalist Ariel Helwani.
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy has high stakes
Arman Tsarukyan has been waiting for a lightweight title shot for some time now. Unfortunately, his pattern of only fighting once per year, along with infuriating the UFC when he withdrew from UFC 311, where he would have faced Islam Makhachev in a rematch for the belt, had led to him becoming an afterthought in the lightweight title picture. Now, though, as he is set to face Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331, Ariel Helwani has made the stunning claim that Tsarukyan will earn a title shot with a win (3:23):
"I'm told Arman was told by the UFC brass that if he wins this fight, he's getting a title shot. I'm told Justin Gaethje is not fighting for the rest of the year. I think Gaethje fights again period. Had a big fight in June, not fighting the rest of the year is not a big deal. I certainly don't think there should be an interim title fight."
If that claims comes to pass, it will feel like a relief to Tsarukyan, who is on a five-fight win streak and has long been regarded as the toughest fight in the division. However, his UFC 311 opponent won't be a walk in the park, as Ruffy is currently riding the wave of a two-fight win streak, having recently TKO'd Michael Chandler in round one at UFC Freedom 250. Ruffy is stepping in to replace former lightweight champion and current BMF titleholder Charles Oliveira, who withdrew from UFC 311 following the death of his close friend and teammate Allan Nascimento.
🚨 BREAKING: The UFC just announced the main card for UFC 331 on September 19 👀
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 5, 2026
Main Event - Joshua Van vs Alexandre Pantoja
Co-main Event - Arman Tsarukyan vs Mauricio Ruffy pic.twitter.com/Wgws22FV2p
The previous bout between Tsarukyan and Oliveira was one defined by history, as Tsarukyan had beaten him via split-decision at UFC 300. The result, however, is one that many, including Oliveira himself, contested. Time will tell if both men ever cross paths again, but for now, Tsarukyan will be focused on earning his promised title shot.
