Tsarukyan Calls Out Gaethje After UFC 331 KO: 'He's Scared'

Arman Tsarukyan didn't leave any room for interpretation. Minutes after knocking out Mauricio Ruffy in the first round of the UFC 331 co-main event in Los Angeles on Saturday, the No. 2 lightweight told reporters that champion Justin Gaethje already knows the score: he's next. Gaethje watched the whole thing from cageside.

It was arguably the biggest win of Tsarukyan's career, and it extended his lightweight win streak to six. At 24-3 with 10 knockouts and six submissions, the Armenian has now argued his case for a No. 1 contender spot three separate times across three years — and he made a point of finishing this one rather than grinding out a decision. His logic was blunt: nobody in the UFC front office can wave off a first-round knockout as boring.

The Backlog Behind Him

There's context here that explains the edge in his voice. Tsarukyan was booked to challenge Islam Makhachev for the belt last year before a last-minute withdrawal, and that exit — plus a few other incidents — landed him firmly in the promotion's bad books. So Saturday carried extra weight. Every fight is pressure when your goal is the title, he said, and this one demanded a statement.

Tsarukyan says he already spoke with Dana White after the win, though he's not convinced Gaethje wants any part of him. According to Tsarukyan, the champion never says his name, wanted Ruffy to do the dirty work, and would rather call out Ilia Topuria or price himself out with a demand for $15 million. Whether that's genuine belief or gamesmanship, it's a pointed accusation aimed at a man sitting a few feet away.

The names he dropped aren't random. Topuria, the No. 1 lightweight at 17-1, lost his last outing to Gaethje by fourth-round TKO — the kind of result that keeps a rematch marketable and a Tsarukyan booking pushed back. Tsarukyan's message to the UFC was simple: either Gaethje fights him, or hand the shot to one of the division's younger contenders. He insists he wouldn't be bitter if Gaethje chose to retire instead.

As for timing, Tsarukyan says he's healthy, wants a one-week break, and could turn around for a big card in mid-to-late December. He's not making demands about when — whatever date the UFC hands him, he says he'll be there. After three years of knocking on the door, that flexibility might be the smartest play he's got.