Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy nearly come to physical blows during their final faceoff ahead of their UFC 331 co-main event in Los Angeles on Friday. Footage shows tension rising as both fighters move toward each other after stepping off the scale, with Ruffy extending his fist and Tsarukyan stepping inside before pushing and countering starts.
UFC officials and security intervene to prevent the confrontation from escalating. Dana White also appears to step in as the situation becomes more heated. Outlets describe the moment as a sharp contrast to earlier interactions between the two, including a calmer faceoff at a prior event.
The fight is presented as a lightweight, five-round matchup with added stakes, described as a title-eliminator bout for the co-main event. Reports also note that Tsarukyan has previously been involved in a contentious staredown incident, but this time officials stop the altercation before it becomes a full physical fight.
