Michael Bisping warns Arman Tsarukyan about "mistake" Michael Chandler made with Mauricio Ruffy before UFC 331

Arman Tsarukyan is set to make his long-awaited return to the Octagon.

With the vast majority of MMA fans and experts abuzz regarding the same, UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping recently put forth some cautionary advice for Tsarukyan as he heads into his upcoming fight. 

Arman Tsarukyan looks to continue his win streak en route to UFC championship glory

Arman Tsarukyan is on a five-fight win streak that dates back to 2022. The Georgia-born Armenian-Russian fighter's most recent MMA bout saw him face Kiwi MMA star Dan Hooker in November of last year, wherein he scored a spectacular submission stoppage of Hooker. 

The Armenian "Batman" has long been beheld as an exceptional grappler, who's also a skilled striker and a well-rounded MMA athlete. 

He's on a collision course with dangerous striking savant Mauricio Ruffy. Their pivotal five-round lightweight matchup, which could determine the No. 1 contender in the division, will co-headline UFC 331 in Los Angeles on September 19. 

Moreover, Tsarukyan is already booked for his freestyle wrestling return thereafter, as he'll clash against BJJ maestro Dillon Danis for the inaugural RAF middleweight crossover title in the main event of RAF 14 on October 3. 

Michael Bisping references Michael Chandler and Mackenzie Dern's respective fights to caution Arman Tsarukyan before Mauricio Ruffy clash at UFC 331

In a recent edition of the JAXXON Podcast, former UFC middleweight kingpin Michael Bisping joined fellow former UFC staples such as TJ Dillashaw and Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson. They addressed a myriad of topics, alongside podcast host Bear Degidio, including Arman Tsarukyan's imminent fight. 

Bisping alluded to the UFC women's strawweight matchup that co-headlined UFC 330 last week, which witnessed Mackenzie Dern defend her throne by outpointing Gillian Robertson. "The Count" suggested that Dern, a multi-time BJJ world champion grappler, set up her takedowns and grappling maneuvers with her striking. 

Additionally, Bisping insinuated that Michael Chandler didn't efficiently utilize his strikes to set up takedowns against Mauricio Ruffy at UFC Freedom 250 in June. That lightweight clash ended with Ruffy scoring a TKO win over the veteran Chandler after a terrifyingly one-sided striking masterclass. 

Juxtaposing the two examples, Bisping warned Arman Tsarukyan to take a page out of Dern's book and steer clear of Chandler's approach. He stated, "He (Arman Tsarukyan) can't do what Michael Chandler did." 

The Englishman, who's a kickboxing veteran and skillful striker himself, implied that Chandler didn't use his powerful punches and dove in for takedowns without setting them up. 

Cautioning that Ruffy is taller than Tsarukyan and fights long, Bisping emphasized that the Armenian combatant has to mix his striking and grappling to beat Ruffy. 

Bisping said, "And what happened? Ruffy picked him (Michael Chandler) apart the whole time; punished him, caught him in the knees, caught him and just obliterated him; made it look easy. Because Chandler didn't play to his strengths." 

He alluded to the hypothesis that Chandler and Tsarukyan possess superior grappling to Ruffy and would handily beat the Brazilian striker if the fight goes to the ground. 

Bisping explained, "Arman's got to be humble enough to say, right, okay, listen, all fights start on the feet. You gotta throw some shots. Just like you saw with Mackenzie Dern; punching into the takedown. He's got to do that. He's gotta believe in his hands. But he's gotta know for sure he's gotta use his wrestling in the fight." 

Watch Michael Bisping's advice for Arman Tsarukyan against Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 below: