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Mauricio Ruffy understands the importance of takedown defense against someone the caliber of Arman Tsarukyan.

Ruffy is scheduled to compete in the biggest fight of his pro MMA career to date. The rising Brazilian star will meet Tsarukyan, who has long been regarded as the true No. 1 contender at lightweight. Their pivotal 155-pound clash will be taking place in the co-main event of UFC 331 on Sept. 19 in Los Angeles.

Speaking to reporters during media week, Ruffy insisted that he’s been consistently improving his takedown defense. While Ruffy admits it isn’t in his wheelhouse, he has been seeing significant gains (via MMAFighting).

“[My opponent’s] plan is the same every time I fight, to come grab me and take me down,” Ruffy said. “I’ve been working on this, putting myself out of comfort zone. I’m here to become a better fighter. I go to the gym to try and get better and evolve, and this fight is an opportunity to show myself, not anyone else or fans, how my dedication has helped me. I’m still learning this sport, and I like what I’m seeing. Let’s continue to show that we continue to evolve.”

Ruffy stopped short of guaranteeing a knockout finish over Tsarukyan inside the Crypto.com Arena, but that is his intention. The knockout artist earned his reputation of being a finisher thanks to scoring 13 knockouts and only going the distance once. A setback against Benoit Saint Denis back in 2025 forced Ruffy to go back to the drawing board.

The exciting 155-pounder has been able to bounce back with finishes over Rafael Fiziev and former three-time Bellator champion Michael Chandler. He sits at the no. 10 spot on the Meta UFC rankings panel, and he’s three spots higher at No. 7 on the media rankings panel.

Do you expect Mauricio Ruffy to show improved takedown defense against Arman Tsarukyan, or are you expecting this to be a grappling clinic? Sound off in the comments below.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM