“That's crazy”: Fans left amazed as Arman Tsarukyan predicted his Mauricio Ruffy elbow KO a month before UFC 331 fight

Arman Tsarukyan produced one of the most spectacular finishes of UFC 331 when he knocked out Mauricio Ruffy with a pair of elbows. But the stunning finish was not completely unexpected. Weeks before stepping into the Octagon, Tsarukyan had already spoken about using elbows to stop the dangerous Brazilian striker.His prediction was not exact, as he expected the finish to come in the third round. The actual knockout came much earlier, with just four seconds left in the opening round at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.Arman Tsarukyan saw the elbow finish coming at UFC 331Arman Tsarukyan had predicted a third-round TKO involving elbows during an appearance with streamer N3on. He said, “Round 3 stoppage via TKO. Elbows, elbows - cut his face.” What followed at UFC 331 was remarkably similar in style, only much quicker and more devastating. Tsarukyan trapped Ruffy against the cage before landing a clean elbow that sent him down. A second elbow followed as the referee stopped the fight.The prediction became even more interesting after the fight.Fans couldn't keep calm on social media as the clip of his prediction went viral. One fan wrote, “hmm wonder if he was being serious in this video”, another added, “He studied tape and probably practiced it”. One commented, “Ruffy was too focused on wrestling forgot Arman isn’t just a cr*tch sniffer”, while another wrote, “W arman he called it!! Crazy how he was with n3on and predicted it”. A user wrote, “That’s crazy”.Tsarukyan entered UFC 331 with a reputation as one of the best wrestlers in the lightweight division. Ruffy, meanwhile, was known for his dangerous striking. Many expected Tsarukyan to rely heavily on his grappling to control the Brazilian.Instead, he found his biggest moment with a strike. Ruffy was able to defend Tsarukyan’s early attempts to take him down. The Armenian then used his clinch work to keep Ruffy against the cage. With the Brazilian fighting for position, Tsarukyan found an opening and fired an elbow.The first shot landed cleanly and appeared to knock Ruffy unconscious. Tsarukyan then delivered another elbow as his opponent fell, with referee Jason Herzog immediately stopping the contest at 4:56 of the first round.The finish made his earlier prediction look remarkably accurate. Tsarukyan had specifically mentioned elbows and cutting Ruffy’s face. Instead of needing three rounds to find the finish, he needed less than five minutes.There was also a funny twist involving N3on, who was part of Tsarukyan’s corner for the fight.After the knockout, Tsarukyan said the streamer had actually called for the elbow from the corner. “He called the elbow, I heard it, and I did it. Great cornerman… But we gotta change the color of his hair.”Tsarukyan’s win extended his winning streak to six fights and strengthened his position near the top of the UFC lightweight division. He also improved his professional record to 24-3 according to post-fight reports.Before the fight, Tsarukyan needed a statement performance. He delivered one in spectacular fashion.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.