Mauricio Ruffy is prepared to handle Arman Tsarukyan 's takedown attempts at UFC 331, at least according to his coach, Joe Lopez. Since the fight was announced, the Brazilian's grappling game has been cited as a major concern against an opponent who specializes in grappling. However, according to the coach, the former "nerd" has shown significant improvement in this aspect during his preparation for the fight.
In an interview with 'Submission Radio', Joe Lopez highlighted that Ruffy's evolution in takedown defense has been evident. The coach explained that the Brazilian has started working more on transitions and, mainly, on avoiding getting stuck with his opponent after being placed in unfavorable positions.
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“Well, it’s simply like comparing apples and oranges. You can see how he’s evolving. For this fight, one of our focuses is our takedown defense, our transitions, and not accepting positions. Honestly, he’s assimilating that. When he arrived, he was still very much stuck in that style of jiu-jitsu where he clung to his opponent, whereas now he doesn’t do that anymore,” said Joe Lopez.
According to Joe, a significant part of this preparation happens in training sessions with Frank Hickman, Alex Volkanovski, and Brad Riddell , who constantly try to take Ruffy down and keep him on the ground. In Lopez's assessment, the difficulty his teammates have in controlling the Brazilian during training demonstrates how much his takedown defense has improved.
“He’s practicing his escapes, learning how to get out of positions, getting his body in the right position and his hands in the right place. Having Frank Hickman, Alex Volkanovski and Brad Riddell constantly trying to take him down and him managing to get back up again allows me to see how difficult it is for these guys to keep him on the ground right now,” the coach concluded.
Mauricio Ruffy and Arman Tsarukyan face each other at UFC 331
The highly anticipated duel between Mauricio Ruffy and Arman Tsarukyan , scheduled for UFC 331, pits two completely opposite approaches against each other in the lightweight division (up to 70,3 kg). On one side, the efficiency and versatility on his feet of the Brazilian against the strong grappling and wrestling pressure of the division's number one.
Ruffy relies on his high striking accuracy and knockout record, with 13 knockout victories in his career and an average of 4.19 significant strikes per minute, while Tsarukyan counters with a solid average of 3.26 takedowns per fight and his greater experience facing the division's elite.
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