The UFC lightweight division has a new champion, an injured former champion and no shortage of fighters trying to move to the front of the line. Arman Tsarukyan believes that position already belongs to him.
Tsarukyan returns September 19 against Mauricio Ruffy in the five-round co-main event of UFC 331 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The matchup carries considerable championship implications, particularly with reigning titleholder Justin Gaethje not expected to compete again before the end of 2026.
Gaethje dramatically reshaped the division in June when he stopped Ilia Topuria after the fourth round of their UFC Freedom 250 main event. The result ended Topuria’s undefeated run, cost him the lightweight championship and left him recovering from facial injuries sustained during the fight.
Topuria’s absence creates another variable in a division already filled with established contenders and emerging challengers. Tsarukyan does not expect the former champion to receive an immediate opportunity to regain the belt when he returns. Instead, he proposed veteran lightweight Michael Chandler as a potential comeback opponent.
After this fight, he needs someone easy, an easy fight,” Tsarukyan said during an interview with Chael Sonnen for UFC on Paramount+.
Tsarukyan’s suggestion was characteristically blunt, but the matchmaking logic is clear. A fight with Chandler would give Topuria an opportunity to reestablish himself before attempting to return to the championship picture. The proposed matchup also connects directly to Tsarukyan’s next assignment. Ruffy stopped Chandler in the opening round at UFC Freedom 250, scoring the biggest victory of his career on the same card where Gaethje dethroned Topuria.
Ruffy now has an opportunity to take Tsarukyan’s place among the leading contenders. Tsarukyan, meanwhile, enters UFC 331 believing he has already done enough to establish himself as the division’s next challenger.
Already #1 contender,” Tsarukyan said when asked about the stakes surrounding the Ruffy fight.
His recent résumé supports a strong claim. Tsarukyan has won five consecutive UFC appearances, with victories over Charles Oliveira, Beneil Dariush and Dan Hooker included in that run. His path to a championship fight has nevertheless been complicated by an injury withdrawal ahead of UFC 311 and the subsequent changes at the top of the division.
Tsarukyan expects a victory over Ruffy to remove any remaining uncertainty, although he has acknowledged elsewhere that title opportunities are never completely guaranteed in the UFC. Beyond Gaethje and Ruffy, Tsarukyan identified Oliveira, Paddy Pimblett, Topuria and Max Holloway among the lightweights capable of affecting the championship race.
There’s a lot of top guys,” Tsarukyan said. “Me, Oliveira still. Paddy Pimblett. Topuria. Max Holloway is tough as well. But when I beat Ruffy, I’m going to fight for the title and then I can pick who I want to fight.
That depth could produce several viable matchups while Gaethje remains sidelined. Topuria must first recover and rebuild following the initial loss of his professional career. Oliveira remains an established former champion, while Pimblett and Holloway bring both rankings value and considerable drawing power. Tsarukyan’s outlook is more direct. He intends to defeat Ruffy, challenge Gaethje and then begin making decisions from the position of champion.
