Arman Tsarukyan staked his claim for the next UFC lightweight title shot last nght (Sat., Sept. 19, 2026) at UFC 331 LIVE on Paramount+ from inside Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif., delivering a devastating knockout (elbows) over dangerous contender Mauricio Ruffy with seconds left in the first round.<\/p>\n
Tsarukyan, who came into UFC 331\u2019s co-main event as a heavy betting favorite, needed a finish to punch his ticket to his first-ever shot at UFC gold. The talented lightweight has had the skills to contend for a UFC title for a few years now, but he\u2019s been in the UFC\u2019s doghouse too much<\/a> to earn it. A spectacular finish was needed on Saturday night and that\u2019s exactly what Tsarukyan delivered.<\/p>\n Despite getting dropped early in the first round and having trouble taking Ruffy down, Tsarukyan stayed busy and kept pressing Ruffy against the Octagon cage. After the 10-second notice sounded Tsarukyan looked for a window to separate and land some buzzer-beating offense. The lightweight contender found his opportunity and crashed a perfectly-placed left elbow into Ruffy\u2019s face, which instantly put him out. Ruffy slumped against Tsarukyan as another elbow landed just in time before the referee made his way over.<\/p>\n It was the biggest statement Tsarukyan could have made and arguably his biggest UFC performance to date. Check out the video highlights below:<\/p>\n