Arman Tsarukyan confirms promised title shot after UFC 331 win; Mauricio Ruffy bout set as No. 1 contender test

Arman Tsarukyan says he has been promised a UFC lightweight title shot after a UFC 331 win, a confirmation that tightens the picture at the top of the division. The 29-year-old contender, who is listed as second in the lightweight rankings, explained that the victory put him on the fast track to the championship track that is typically reserved for the sport’s most consistent contenders.

The next step is set for UFC 331 on Sept. 19, where Tsarukyan will return to the octagon in the co-main event. That matchup is positioned as a No. 1 contenders affair, meaning the winner is expected to move past the remaining bottleneck of ranked challengers with a direct line to the title.

Tsarukyan’s opponent will be Mauricio Ruffy, who is listed as the No. 7 ranked lightweight. The bout is framed as a key eliminator, with both fighters carrying different forms of momentum into the encounter, and with the UFC using the rankings to define the stakes beyond a single result.

According to the report, the fight has been described as a title-shot confirmation route, not merely a high-profile matchup. In that sense, UFC 331’s co-main is treated as a direct test of who earns the next opportunity in the lightweight title picture.

For Tsarukyan, the significance is more than timing. Being identified as the second-ranked contender means he enters the UFC 331 co-main with the pressure of expectation, but also with an easier-to-understand narrative: a win against a top-ten opponent is presented as the bridge to the belt.

For Ruffy, the challenge is catching a fighter already positioned near the summit of the division. Facing a higher-ranked opponent in a No. 1 contenders fight is the kind of scenario that can elevate a career quickly, especially when the match outcome is tied to the title picture rather than a lower-stakes ranking adjustment.

What to watch next is whether UFC 331 follows through on the report’s framing with a clear championship opponent timeline after the co-main. With both fighters entering as ranked lightweights and the bout designed to determine the next title challenger, the winner’s performance could shape how quickly the UFC schedules the lightweight championship matchup.