Michael Chandler believes Mauricio Ruffy has what it takes to pull off a knockout victory over Arman Tsarukyan in their UFC 331 co-main event this Saturday.
Chandler knows Ruffy well, having faced the Brazilian earlier this year at UFC Freedom 250, where he was stopped in his most recent fight. Despite Ruffy’s struggles against Benoit Saint-Denis’ wrestling-heavy approach in his last defeat a year ago, Chandler believes the rising lightweight has the tools to overcome Tsarukyan.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show earlier this week, Chandler acknowledged that Tsarukyan has a clear path to victory but questioned whether the Armenian can successfully execute his game plan against Ruffy.
“He's got a very, very good recipe to beat Mauricio Ruffy for sure, but can he implement that game plan? I think Ruffy catches him with a couple big shots. I do, and I think Arman is going to obviously go for the takedown because he's not going to stand with Ruffy,” Chandler said.
Chandler expects Tsarukyan to rely on his wrestling and apply pressure rather than engage in a prolonged striking battle with Ruffy. However, he believes Ruffy’s recent activity and momentum could play a role in the matchup.
“He's going to put the pressure on him. But as you can see, I was not able to do that, or at least I wasn't able to do that on that night. And you saw Benoit Saint-Denis do it to Ruffy, but I think Ruffy's got some momentum on his side, and Arman's got some ring rust, so to speak,” Chandler explained.
While acknowledging Tsarukyan’s continued activity outside the cage, Chandler argued that Ruffy’s momentum and ability are being underestimated.
“He's stayed out there, and he's stayed busy, and he's stayed active, and he's eating McDonald's on private jets and competing still and all that stuff, of course, but Mauricio Ruffy is good, and I think he's better than a lot of people think he is, so I got Ruffy on that one.”
