Tsarukyan-Oliveira 2 Reported for UFC 331

Arman Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira are reportedly headed toward a lightweight rematch, though the proposed UFC 331 main event has not been made official by the UFC. Bloody Elbow, citing Russian outlet Red Fury MMA, reported that the pair could meet in Los Angeles on September 19. The report places more than a rematch on the line: Oliveira would be making the first defense of the symbolic BMF belt that he took from Max Holloway in March. That detail has turned the reported booking into a debate among fans, with reactions ranging from enthusiasm for a high-level five-round MMA contest to skepticism that this particular matchup fits their idea of a BMF fight.

The central point is still the report, rather than a confirmed UFC announcement. Tsarukyan has been waiting for clarity on his return after last competing in Qatar last November, when he submitted Dan Hooker. The source says he had wanted a lightweight title fight but was passed over when Paddy Pimblett was selected to face Justin Gaethje. In that context, a second meeting with Oliveira is presented as the apparent hurdle before Tsarukyan can again pursue the divisional belt. Oliveira, meanwhile, would enter the proposed contest as the BMF titleholder following his March victory over Holloway at UFC 326. The reported matchup therefore brings together two fighters whose previous meeting and more recent title developments give the rematch a clearer frame than a simple repeat pairing.

What the report says about the rematch

According to the report attributed to Red Fury MMA, Tsarukyan and Oliveira would headline UFC 331 in Los Angeles on September 19. The wording matters: the source describes the fight as reported, not officially announced. Until the UFC confirms it, the date, card placement and BMF title defense remain reported details rather than settled event information. The same caution applies to the suggested path for the winner. Bloody Elbow wrote that, should the fight happen, the winner is expected to be in line to challenge undisputed UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje. That is an expectation attached to the potential matchup, not a confirmed title-fight order.

There is meaningful competitive context behind the proposed second fight. Tsarukyan beat Oliveira at UFC 300, and Bloody Elbow identifies that result as the fourth win in his currently active five-fight winning streak inside the Octagon. His subsequent submission victory over Hooker is the most recent fight named in the source. Oliveira’s more recent milestone is different: he took the BMF belt from Holloway in March. If the reported rematch is finalized, it would be Oliveira’s first defense of that symbolic belt. Those two threads explain why the proposed bout is being discussed both as a lightweight contender fight and as a BMF title matchup, even though the source says the title designation has divided reaction online.

Why the BMF angle has divided reaction

The strongest disagreement in the reaction described by Bloody Elbow is not over whether Tsarukyan versus Oliveira is a good fight. Several commenters questioned whether a pairing associated with grappling belongs under the BMF banner, arguing that the belt has lost some of its intended meaning. Others specifically objected to placing Tsarukyan and the BMF label together. Supportive responses took the opposite view, calling the potential contest a high-level MMA matchup and noting the appeal of seeing Oliveira face a stronger wrestler after his BMF title-winning performance. One reaction also pointed to the interest of a five-round fight. The split illustrates that the BMF belt changes the conversation around the rematch: fans are evaluating both the sporting matchup and what they believe the symbolic title should represent.

• Reported event detail: Red Fury MMA was cited for Tsarukyan versus Oliveira as the UFC 331 main event in Los Angeles on September 19, but the UFC had not officially announced the bout in the supplied report.
• Established context: Tsarukyan defeated Oliveira at UFC 300, a result identified as the fourth win in his active five-fight UFC winning streak.

For now, the key development is a reported UFC 331 rematch rather than a finalized booking. The proposed contest carries clear stakes within the supplied report: Tsarukyan would seek another win over Oliveira after their UFC 300 meeting, while Oliveira would be positioned for his first BMF belt defense. The fan response shows why the matchup has drawn attention beyond the rematch itself, but any official confirmation and the reported title implications still depend on the UFC making the fight official.