Arman Tsarukyan faces Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331, Joshua Van defends title
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Aug 6, 2026, 9:03 AM
Last updated Aug 6, 2026
Arman Tsarukyan will fight Mauricio Ruffy in the co-main event of UFC 331 on September 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Tsarukyan was initially expected to face Charles Oliveira in a rematch but will now face Ruffy instead. This will be Tsarukyan's first fight since he defeated Dan Hooker in November. Meanwhile, the main event features Joshua Van defending his flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja in a rematch after Van previously claimed the title from Pantoja last December.
- •Tsarukyan last fought in November, winning against Dan Hooker.
- •Oliveira had to withdraw after the death of teammate Allan Nascimento.
- •Joshua Van won the flyweight title from Pantoja in December.
- •Pantoja suffered an injury early in the first encounter with Van.
- 12:00 PMYahoo Sports — Cormier: Allan Nascimento’s death led to Charles Oliveira’s removal from UFC 331
- 9:03 AMYahoo Sports — Arman Tsarukyan vs Mauricio Ruffy booked for UFC 331 as Joshua Van vs Alexandre Pantoja 2 headlines
"On Thursday morning, the UFC announced the full main card for UFC 331 on September 19th in Los Angeles featuring Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight title and a lightweight contender match between Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy. Tsarukyan vs. Ruffy is an interesting match-up, but a bit of a swerve after weeks […]
"Tsarukyan was rumoured to have a rematch with Charles Oliveira, whose teammate Allan Nascimento died suddenly this week
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsAug 7, 2026, 12:00 PMCormier: Allan Nascimento’s death led to Charles Oliveira’s removal from UFC 331
On Thursday morning, the UFC announced the full main card for UFC 331 on September 19th in Los Angeles featuring Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight title and a lightweight contender match between Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy. Tsarukyan vs. Ruffy is an interesting match-up, but a bit of a swerve after weeks […]
- Yahoo SportsAug 6, 2026, 9:03 AMArman Tsarukyan vs Mauricio Ruffy booked for UFC 331 as Joshua Van vs Alexandre Pantoja 2 headlines
Tsarukyan was rumoured to have a rematch with Charles Oliveira, whose teammate Allan Nascimento died suddenly this week
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