Arman Tsarukyan has revealed that he originally agreed to face Charles Oliveira in a UFC lightweight No. 1 contender fight before his opponent was changed to Mauricio Ruffy.
Tsarukyan is scheduled to return to the Octagon against Ruffy at UFC 331 on September 19, marking his first UFC appearance in 11 months. However, the Armenian lightweight says the matchup was not the fight he initially accepted.
Appearing on the Deep Waters podcast this week, Tsarukyan explained that he had agreed to face former UFC lightweight champion Oliveira in a five-round fight that would have carried significant title implications.
“I said yes versus Oliveira. I said yes and then I started my training camp in Armenia,” Tsarukyan said.
“It was like contender number one. So, five rounds.”
According to Tsarukyan, plans for the matchup changed following the death of one of Oliveira’s friends and teammates, Allan Nascimento. The UFC subsequently began looking for a new opponent for the Armenian.
“And then Charles Oliveira's friend died and then they said, ‘We're looking for the new one,’” Tsarukyan said.
Ruffy ultimately emerged as the replacement opponent, and Tsarukyan decided to accept the fight rather than remain inactive after already beginning his training camp.
“Then Ruffy came up and I said, ‘Yeah,’ because I was already in the camp and... I need one fight because this year I haven't fought,” Tsarukyan explained.
“So I said, it's a good fight for me. So I took that fight.”
Despite the change in opponent, Tsarukyan believes his path remains clear. He said he was told that a victory over Ruffy would put him in position to fight for the UFC lightweight championship.
“And I said, after this, for sure I'm fighting for the title,” Tsarukyan said. “Yeah, you're fighting for the title.”
The Ruffy matchup will therefore represent more than simply a return to action for Tsarukyan. The former title challenger is entering UFC 331 with the expectation that a win could earn him another shot at the 155-pound championship.
Tsarukyan has not fought since his October 2025 victory over Dan Hooker, and the 29-year-old will look to make a statement against the rising Ruffy when the two meet on September 19.
