Daniel Cormier Confesses He Didn't Expect the UFC 331 Co-Main Event to End the Way It Did

Daniel Cormier is one of many who were startled by how the UFC 331 co-main event unfolded. Lately, Cormier made an honest admission about his complete failure to predict the outcome of the highly anticipated fight. 'DC's' remarks implied that he didn't see Arman Tsarukyan's finish coming even in his wildest dreams.

Daniel Cormier Admits He Would Have Failed Even With '100' Attempts

The UFC 331 co-main event showed the high degree of volatility of an MMA fight. Tsarukyan didn't have the best start to the fight, as Mauricio Ruffy managed the distance much more efficiently and landed quite a few strong strikes.

Tsarukyan's high-level wrestling also didn't help him much in the fight. Ruffy countered most of his takedown attempts effectively and managed to stay on his feet, despite having his back on the cage wall. However, all of that became useless as Tsarukyan ended the fight in the final seconds of the first round with a brutal elbow that knocked out his Brazilian rival.

After watching Tsarukyan struggle in the initial minutes of the fight, Cormier, along with several other fans, started thinking that Tsarukyan would have to go deep into the fight to get the upper hand. Nevertheless, the reality couldn't have been farther from their thoughts, as 'Batman' KO'd Ruffy in a few more minutes. Cormier didn't shy away from admitting that he wouldn't have predicted such an outcome to the fight, even with 100 attempts.

In a video from the UFC 331 commentator's booth, 'DC' said, "Many pointed to the fight between Mauricio Ruffy and Benoit Saint Denis as the way that this fight would go. If you gave me 100 outcomes, the outcome we got tonight would never be the one I would have chosen."

🤯 Daniel Cormier couldn’t believe how Arman Tsarukyan’s fight played out:

“If you gave me 100 outcomes, the outcome we got tonight would never be the one I would have chosen.”

via (@dc_mma)▫️ pic.twitter.com/522v0cMNz9

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) September 20, 2026

The UFC color commentator Joe Rogan's remarks implied that he was on the same page as Cormier regarding the shock value of Tsarukyan's TKO victory over Ruffy. Rogan added that he couldn't remember the last time he witnessed a clean KO with a single elbow inside the octagon.

After earning appreciation from UFC CEO Dana White, Tsarukyan is looking confident about his next fight being a lightweight title shot. The Armenian has also revealed his preferred timeline for the encounter. However, nothing can be said about whether his wish will come to life until White and Co. make it official.