“I’ve got Ruffy winning”: Michael Chandler predicts stunning Arman Tsarukyan upset at UFC 331

Arman Tsarukyan is set to fight Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 in a five-round co-main event. The event will take place on September 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. The anticipation for this is already building among fans as it's a classic grappler vs striker matchup. 

Heading into UFC 331, Tsarukyan remains the heavy favorite to get the job done against Ruffy. However, the Brazilian’s ex-rival, Michael Chandler, whom he faced at UFC Freedom 250, has a different view. Recently, Chandler previewed the bout and predicted victory for his ex-opponent. 

Michael Chandler predicts Mauricio Ruffy upset against Arman Tsarukyan

Ruffy has elite-level striking, and Chandler witnessed it when they squared off at White House. The Brazilian knocked out the American in the first round to secure the victory. 

Having experienced Ruffy's power and speed himself, Chandler believes those qualities could cause problems for Tsarukyan. Speaking with Ariel Helwani, the former UFC title challenger predicts that the Brazilian will catch the American during striking exchanges. 

Chandler emphasized that Tsarukyan could be affected by “ring rust” after spending significant time away from competition. He feels that Ruffy is better than people consider him, predicting the Brazilian will pull off an upset at UFC 331. 

“I think Ruffy catches him with a couple of big shots. Ruffy has got some momentum on his side, and Arman’s got some ring rust, so to speak,” Chandler told Helwani. “I think Ruffy’s better than a lot of people think he is. So I’ve got Ruffy winning that one.”

Check out Michael Chandler’s comments below: 

Chandler’s comments do carry some weight, as the Armenian’s last UFC outing came against Dan Hooker in November, which was his only fight that year. Ring rust could play a factor, although Tsarukyan has remained active by competing in grappling matches during his time away from the octagon.

Tsarukyan has previously called his fight against Ruffy a title eliminator, although Dana White has refused to label it that way officially. The Armenian is confident that a win over Ruffy will earn him a title shot against lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, which is why he is taking the matchup seriously while acknowledging the danger the Brazilian poses with his striking.

Arman Tsarukyan knows Mauricio Ruffy fight could make or break his title hopes

In one of the videos posted on his YouTube channel, Tsarukyan acknowledged the danger of Ruffy's elite striking and stressed he is working hard to get his hand raised and cement himself as next in line for a lightweight title fight. 

“If I lose this fight, I'm never gonna see title fight. So that's why I'm super-motivated for this fight, super-hungry, and I've been working so hard for that moment. And I never underestimate him, especially his striking. So I gotta be so smart during the fight. Because he has a good punch," Tsarukyan said.