Arman Tsarukyan Questions UFC 331 Change

Arman Tsarukyan has sharply questioned why his expected UFC 331 meeting with Charles Oliveira did not materialize, saying Oliveira “was just finding an excuse” after Tsarukyan was switched to a five-round co-main event against Mauricio Ruffy. The comments came after Tsarukyan described being told that Oliveira could not train following the death of his friend and longtime Chute Boxe teammate, Allan Nascimento. Tsarukyan acknowledged that losing someone is difficult, but he disputed the explanation based on what he said he saw afterward.

The key point is that Tsarukyan is presenting his own interpretation, not a confirmed explanation from Oliveira or the UFC. In the account shared on The Ariel Helwani Show, Tsarukyan said he had already entered training camp for Oliveira when he received a call while in the mountains informing him that there was a new opponent. He said he accepted Ruffy without hesitation because he did not want to withdraw or wait. That sequence makes Tsarukyan’s grievance about a changed matchup clear, while leaving his accusation against Oliveira as a claim rather than an established fact.

Tsarukyan recounts the switch to Ruffy

According to Tsarukyan, the Oliveira bout had been discussed as a five-round UFC 331 co-main event. He said the plan changed after he was already in camp, with Ruffy offered as the replacement. Tsarukyan said he agreed because he wanted to compete after a lengthy absence and viewed the event as a significant opportunity. The supplied reporting identifies UFC 331 as taking place on September 19 and says Tsarukyan is scheduled to face Ruffy in the co-main event. Tsarukyan’s remarks also addressed the stated reason he was given for the change. He said he was told that Oliveira could not train because Oliveira’s friend had died. Tsarukyan then pointed to Oliveira appearing in live streams and, in Tsarukyan’s view, being back in camp within several days. From that, Tsarukyan concluded that Oliveira had found an excuse not to fight him. Oliveira has not been quoted in the provided material responding to Tsarukyan’s comments.

The distinction matters because the UFC 331 development itself is straightforward: Tsarukyan now has Ruffy, not Oliveira. The broader claims around the change are less settled. Tsarukyan also speculated that Oliveira could be headed toward Diego Lopes, but he explicitly described that as something he thought might happen rather than information he had been told. Reporting supplied for this article similarly says a possible Oliveira-Lopes matchup has been proposed or discussed, while no confirmed return date for Oliveira is established in all of the material. Tsarukyan further said the proposed Oliveira rematch was discussed as a contender No. 1 fight, though he added that nothing had been confirmed. That context explains why he was willing to take the replacement assignment: he said he did not want to sit out and allow another contender to move ahead of him. It does not establish what a victory over either Oliveira or Ruffy would guarantee. The confirmed next step for Tsarukyan is the Ruffy fight; the rest of the lightweight picture remains unresolved in the supplied reporting.

What Tsarukyan has said — and what is known

Tsarukyan’s previous meeting with Oliveira gives his frustration a direct sporting context. The supplied reports say Tsarukyan beat Oliveira by split decision at UFC 300. He nevertheless said he considered Ruffy a more difficult matchup than Oliveira, an opinion that reflects Tsarukyan’s view rather than a confirmed measure of either fighter’s ability. His comments were especially pointed because they followed the death of Nascimento, whom the supplied reports describe as Oliveira’s close friend, training partner and longtime Chute Boxe teammate. Tsarukyan said people handle loss differently, but argued that Oliveira could have fought and dedicated a victory to his friend. That is the language of a dissatisfied fighter reacting to a cancelled plan, not evidence that validates his allegation. For now, Tsarukyan has placed his focus on the opponent who is officially in front of him: Ruffy.

• Tsarukyan said Oliveira was the planned five-round UFC 331 co-main event opponent before the matchup changed during his training camp.
• Tsarukyan accepted Mauricio Ruffy as the replacement and said he did not want to pull out or wait for Oliveira.
• Tsarukyan’s suggestion that Oliveira may fight Diego Lopes was framed by Tsarukyan as his own belief, not a confirmed booking.

Arman Tsarukyan has turned a late opponent change into a public challenge to Charles Oliveira’s motives, but the strongest confirmed part of the story is the new UFC 331 assignment. Tsarukyan says he wanted the Oliveira fight and accepted Ruffy rather than wait. His accusations and his expectation of an Oliveira-Lopes bout remain his perspective, while his September 19 contest with Ruffy is the concrete fight now ahead of him.

Sources: Bloody Elbow; BJPenn; MiddleEasy; MMA Mania