Arman Tsarukyan previews fight vs Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331: “I’m going to prove that I’m the best”

0:00You can't bring UFC 331 to LA without

0:03sitting down with the biggest star on

0:05the card, Arman Sarukan. It's

0:07interesting to have you back in LA. The

0:10last time you were here for a fight,

0:11obviously 311 against Islam Akachev.

0:14What are the feelings like being back

0:16here?

0:17>> Feeling great. Uh I feel like I'm

0:21fighting in my hometown.

0:22>> Yeah, I mean the Armenian Armenian

0:24contingency is strong here. personally

0:27like fair to say you're going to get the

0:30loudest cheers of anyone on this card. I

0:31mean there's such a powerful Armenian

0:35presence in LA.

0:36>> Yeah. Um not not only Armenians, a lot

0:39of Mexicans who support me too. And uh

0:43uh

0:45I think like the crowd is going to be in

0:47my side for sure.

0:49coming out of 311 um

0:54I think there were a lot of people who

0:56thought man this is like a worst case

0:58scenario for Arman Soryukian but I feel

1:00like that was the moment that started

1:02turning you into a superstar.

1:05What was the decision or the idea that

1:08you had about how to grow your brand

1:10after that? Because I really believe

1:12like nobody does traffic right now

1:14online the way you do. Um my friend

1:17helps me and he told me do this do that

1:20and then I like it and now I'm doing by

1:23myself and like and then the Nina like

1:28we do streamings and uh filming like

1:30viral content and uh it's easy and it

1:35helps me to to grow. You talked about

1:38this fight with Marius and you said, "I

1:40wanted to be active, but I know how big

1:44of a risk this is. If I lose, there goes

1:46the title shot." Why was it so important

1:49for you to stay active despite the

1:53risks?

1:55>> I want to stay active because a lot of

1:57contenders now in my division and if I'm

2:00going to stay without fights, they going

2:02to fight between each other and then

2:04they become a contender number one. And

2:06I I got to prove that I'm the best. And

2:08I'm going to show that I'm the best this

2:10Saturday. And uh I'm going to call out

2:14Justin Gi. And I hope he's not going to

2:20do something on his pants.

2:22>> What is Justin's issue with you? He said

2:25that he hopes that Hoofi hits you so

2:27hard this weekend. Like why doesn't why

2:28doesn't my guy like you?

2:30>> Because it's a bad matchup for him.

2:32That's why he he doesn't even want to

2:34talk about me. When they ask like who's

2:36contender number one, he's telling like

2:38a weird names but not not me.

2:41>> Hui is now training.

2:42>> But his father his father he said Arman

2:45is the next. So

2:47>> only his father knows who's number one

2:49contender.

2:50>> Shout out to Wino. Be careful talking

2:52about Justin Zad. We saw how that went

2:53for Ilia. But I'm glad that you and

2:55Justin Zad are on the same page here.

2:58One more thing on Hui. Obviously, he's

3:00training with the featherweight champ

3:01now, Alexander Vulcganowski, and they

3:04said his wrestling has improved

3:05tremendously. V can't take him down. But

3:08really, how much can Hui improve from

3:11that BSD fight in one year against you,

3:14who I think is levels ahead of Benois

3:16Anthony?

3:17>> I mean, yeah, he can learn how to defend

3:20takedowns, but

3:23uh in their camp, they don't have a

3:24wrestlers like me.

3:26So while Kanowski he's more striker than

3:31wrestler. So it it doesn't mean that I

3:35cannot take him down. So while Konowski

3:39can talk whatever he wants but uh yeah

3:44he can defend one takedown, third take

3:46takedown but eventually he's going to be

3:48on the ground.

3:50Justin said that uh he thinks you were

3:53lying about why you pulled out of 311

3:55that you just couldn't make the weight.

3:57Did you hear this? What went

3:58>> but like there is a proof there is like

4:00a MRI and the doctors they can like show

4:04in public and uh that I have a um

4:10problems with my uh lower back.

4:13>> There is one thing I did want to ask you

4:14about. You said that before this fight

4:17it was actually supposed to be Charles

4:18Olivera and that you think he may be

4:21pulled out because of the passing of his

4:23friend Allan Nimento and you said

4:25Charles was making excuses that uh he

4:28should have taken the fight. Do you

4:29still stand by that?

4:31>> No, he came and said uh said that he UC

4:35didn't like send him a contract and

4:37everything. So probably it's a

4:39miscommunication.

4:41John Anick put out there the idea that

4:44maybe there's interest in running back

4:46Justin versus Elia immediately. Do you

4:48think Tuporia deserves another title

4:50shot? And yeah, I'll start there.

4:52>> Yeah, I I don't think so he deserves

4:54because the fight was not close. Uh

4:57Justin mold him and uh just finished

5:02him. You know, if it was decision close

5:03decision, yeah, it makes sense. But

5:05right now, no way. He got to come back

5:08and for even for him is a bad matchup.

5:10He they got to give him some easy fight

5:14come back and then fight for the title.

5:16>> If they did fight, do you think it's the

5:18same result as the first time?

5:21>> Either different result, either even

5:23worse.

5:26>> A lot of people I know have been sort of

5:27pushing for the idea of Patty versus

5:29Elia. You said Patty is actually a bad

5:31matchup. Ilia should maybe take an

5:33easier fight.

5:35After seeing what Patty Pimble did to

5:37Benois Santini, are you even more

5:39certain that it would be a very bad idea

5:41for Ilia to fight Patty right now?

5:43>> Yeah, it's a bad idea because Patty has

5:45a good chin.

5:46>> Mhm.

5:47>> It's difficult to knock him out.

5:50>> As we wrap up here, um, a lot has been

5:53said about your upbringing. He's a

5:57wealthy boy. You talked about how no,

5:59you know what, I couldn't even afford

6:01wrestling shoes growing up and um my

6:03father's success took off later. Now

6:05that you're in a position of wealth, and

6:07I know you're investing with your father

6:08and working, what is it like to have

6:10that relationship with your father now

6:12where you guys are actually growing

6:14together?

6:16It's so good when you can send him money

6:19and uh and you can uh uh spend your own

6:25money and uh it's the best feeling when

6:28sometimes you my dad calling me and I

6:31need money for this and I send it to

6:33him. So now we kind of changing.

6:36>> In a perfect world, you beat Huy, you

6:39want that fight with Justin Gai. What is

6:42a date or a time that makes sense for

6:44that lightweight title fight?

6:46>> For me, I'll be ready. I mean, I'll be

6:48ready December, January, February. So,

6:52as soon as soon as possible.

6:55>> Well, we will not have to wait long to

6:57see you fight. I'm very excited. The

6:59co-main event, five rounds, Arman

7:00Sarukan versus Mauricio Hufi, streaming

7:03exclusively on Paramount Plus.