Dana White Fully Behind Tsarukyan After UFC 331 Redemption Knockout
White praised Tsarukyan's comeback from past controversies after a devastating first-round elbow knockout of Mauricio Ruffy.
Arman Tsarukyan and Dana White have not always seen eye to eye, but after UFC 331 there is nothing left to argue about. Tsarukyan flattened Mauricio Ruffy with a first-round elbow knockout in Los Angeles on Saturday night, and White could not have been more effusive in his praise.
"When you f--k up, then you come back and you do everything the right way, he couldn't have had a better comeback," White said at the post-fight press conference. The UFC boss had been openly critical of Tsarukyan in the past, particularly after the Armenian-born fighter pulled out of a title fight against Islam Makhachev the night before weigh-ins and was involved in altercations with fans and fellow fighters.
White admitted he thought Tsarukyan was in trouble before the finish. "At the end of that round, I was like, oh s--t, man, he's in for a rough night. And then boom, the elbow. Incredible." The knockout earned Tsarukyan a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus and extended his winning streak to six consecutive fights.
Tsarukyan wasted no time making his intentions clear. He jumped out of the cage to shake White's hand and declared at the post-fight press conference: "He's fighting me next," referring to UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje. He followed up on social media with a simple message: "Title shot secured."
Gaethje has fought twice in 2026 and is reportedly dealing with minor injuries, per Sherdog. A timeline for Tsarukyan's title shot has not been announced, but his status as the division's top contender now appears beyond dispute.
Dana admitting he thought Arman was in for a rough night right before the elbow landed is the best kind of honesty, because it is exactly what everyone in the building was thinking. Ruffy had swelled his eye and had a good round going. Then boom, and now the boss is calling it the perfect comeback.
The redemption is real. Pulling out of the Makhachev fight the night before weigh-ins, the altercations with fans and fighters, all of that had Dana openly annoyed. Six straight wins later and a $100,000 bonus in his pocket, Arman has done the work to fix it. Jumping out of the cage to shake Dana's hand was the smart touch. He knows who signs the checks.
Now the hard part. Gaethje is nicked up and has fought twice this year, and I would not bet on December. Arman saying title shot secured on social media is more hope than fact until there is a date. But he is undeniably next, and that is worth something.
