Arman Tsarukyan lands elbow knockout on Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331

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Saturday’s UFC 331 was co-headlined by lightweight contenders Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy.

The winner knows they are likely to be walking away with a shot at the UFC title in their next outing. The pair entered the clash with a combined seven-fight win streak.

Arman Tsarukyan began the bout by fainting the level change and landing some heavy leg kicks. Mauricio Ruffy seemed hesitant to exchange early on and allowed his opponent to pressure him to the cage.

Less than two minutes into the fight, Tsarukyan shot in for his first takedown defense of the night. Ruffy defended well, not allowing the Armenian to dominate the fight, a big improvement from his loss to Benoit Saint Denis just a year ago. Comfortable in the grappling, Tsarukyan showed glimpses of what he can do when allowed to take charge of the fight, dropping the Brazilian to the mat several times, though Ruffy bounced back to his feet each time.

Threatening the grappling at every opportunity, Arman Tsarukyan used it to set up his striking, and he did it beautifully. As the first round was coming to an end, Tsarukyan landed a sickening elbow that put Mauricio Ruffy out instantly. On his way down, Tsarukyan landed a follow-up elbow, securing the biggest win of his career.

Watch the moment Arman Tsarukyan earned a shot at the UFC lightweight title by knocking out Mauricio Ruffy below.