Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy nearly came to blows during their final face-off ahead of their UFC 331 co-main event in Los Angeles on Friday. The lightweight contenders had maintained a relatively respectful buildup, but tensions boiled over during the ceremonial weigh-ins. After stepping off the scale, Tsarukyan walked toward Ruffy, who was standing with his fist extended. Tsarukyan moved inside Ruffy’s outstretched hand, prompting the Brazilian to push him back. The exchange quickly became tense as both fighters moved toward each other before UFC officials and security intervened.
Arman Tsarukyan & Mauricio Ruffy Nearly Come To BlowsUFC President Dana White also stepped in as the situation threatened to escalate. The heated moment came just a day after the pair had a much calmer face-off following the UFC 331 press conference.
The confrontation added extra intrigue to a highly anticipated five-round lightweight bout. Tsarukyan and Ruffy are competing in the UFC 331 co-main event, with the fight positioned as a title-eliminator bout.
Tsarukyan has previously been involved in a controversial face-off incident, having headbutted Dan Hooker during their final staredown before UFC Qatar. This time, however, officials managed to prevent the confrontation with Ruffy from turning into a physical altercation. UFC 331 takes place on September 19 at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, with Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja headlining the card in a flyweight title rematch.