Arman Tsarukyan knocked out Mauricio Ruffy.
The fight ended at the 4:56 mark of the first round—just four seconds before the bell. In the closing moments of the five-minute round, Tsarukyan landed two powerful elbow strikes while in the clinch. The first blow badly rocked Rufi, and after the second, the Brazilian went down, prompting the referee to immediately stop the fight.
Up until that moment, the contest had been quite competitive. Rufi successfully defended against takedown attempts and landed dangerous strikes while standing, whereas Tsarukyan applied constant pressure, utilizing his wrestling skills and pinning his opponent against the cage. However, a single sequence in the final seconds of the round ultimately decided the outcome of the fight.
After the victory, Tsarukyan immediately made it clear what he wanted next. Arman stated that he realized he needed an early victory to definitively cement his claim to a title shot. Following five consecutive wins, this knockout marked his sixth straight victory.
Tsukaryan's case for a title shot now appears extremely compelling. Prior to the event, Dana White had been unwilling to guarantee Arman a championship fight—even with a win over Tsarukyan's opponent—but Arman delivered exactly what was required: he stopped one of the division's most dangerous strikers in the very first round.
It is worth noting that legendary kickboxer Giorgio Petrosyan was in Arman Tsarukyan's corner for this fight.
Tsarukyan's next bout should be for the title, regardless of who holds the UFC lightweight championship at that time. After the victory, Arman also emphasized that he needed such a finish specifically to secure a shot at the title.
It is worth noting that another fighter of Armenian descent, Edmen Shahbazyan, also claimed victory at the same tournament, defeating Brazil's Bruno Ferreira. Shahbazyan won the three-round bout by unanimous decision, with scores of 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27.
