Dana White Denies Mauricio Ruffy and Tsarukyan's Statement and Does Not Confirm That the Winner Will Fight for the UFC Belt

Aran Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy face off tensely, promoting a fight in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/YouTube/UFC

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Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy received some rather frustrating news directly from Dana White. The athletes will have one of the most anticipated fights of the year at UFC 331 , scheduled for September 19th in California (USA), and they dream of a title fight in the lightweight division (up to 70,3 kg) afterward. However, the UFC president may have a different plan for the division.

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In an interview with 'Sports Central', Dana White , when asked if the winner of Tsarukyan vs. Ruffy would have the right to face champion Justin Gaethje , did not confirm that the fight is a title eliminator. It's worth noting that, when promoting the fight, both the Armenian and the Brazilian stated that whoever wins will be the number one contender in the highly competitive and prestigious division.

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Upon learning of the athletes' statements, especially Arman's, the official denied the pair's claims and prefers to be cautious. Currently, in addition to Ruffy and Tsarukyan, Charles Oliveira, Ilia Topuria , Max Holloway , Paddy Pimblett , and Quillan Salkilld are in the running to compete for the title.

“I don’t like to say this before the fight is over. Tsarukyan says a lot of things. We’ve had a short but pleasant journey so far. We’ll see how this fight unfolds,” said the official.

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