Mauricio Ruffy Defends Wrestling Training with Alexander Volkanovski Ahead of Arman Tsarukyan Fight
Mauricio Ruffy was not very happy with the reporters questioning him and Alexander Volkanovski's wrestling credentials ahead of his UFC 331 fight against Arman Tsarukyan
Rising lightweight contender Mauricio Ruffy is gearing up for the ultimate trial by fire at UFC 331, stepping up to take on top-ranked contender Arman Tsarukyan in a high-stakes co-main event at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. To prepare for Tsarukyanā€™s relentless, wrestling-heavy approach, the Brazilian striker packed his bags and spent nearly four weeks down under in Australia, sharpening his skill set alongside former UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski.
The decision raised a few eyebrows across the MMA community. Pundits and fellow fighters, including former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad, openly questioned whether training with striking-centric partners would be enough to prepare Ruffy for the suffocating chain-wrestling of Tsarukyan. Possessing a stellar 23-3 professional MMA record, Tsarukyan is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous, grinding grapplers in the entire 155-pound division.
Confidence in Down Under Preparation
Completely unfazed by the skepticism, Ruffy doubled down on his preparation during fight week media obligations. The 30-year-old striker made it crystal clear that his takedown defense and mat skills are far beyond what critics, or his opponent, expect.
"If you're so confident that your wrestling can beat me, I'm just as confident. We're going to see on Saturday who's going to come out on top," Ruffy declared.
Ruffy, who enters the Octagon with a 14-2 professional record, didn't just work with Volkanovski in Australia; he also logged valuable rounds on the mat with former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. Volkanovski, who famously pushed lightweight champion Islam Makhachev to his absolute limits on the canvas, will even be making the trip Stateside to corner Ruffy on Saturday night. Adesanya has already publicly backed Ruffy to deliver a stunning upset finish.
For Ruffy, gaining championship-level insights on scrambling and turnover defense was the precise blueprint required for this matchup. When the cage door shuts, Ruffy plans to answer every question about his ground game in emphatic fashion.
