UFC President Dana White just lately revealed Mauricio Ruffy was not the initially deliberate opponent for Arman Tsarukyan.
Tsarukyan might be taking over Ruffy within the co-main occasion of UFC 331 on the nineteenth of September, 2026, at Crypto.com Area in Los Angeles. The combat, which might be a possible title eliminator, might be a 5-rounder.
Nevertheless, the announcement of Ruffy as Tsarukyan’s opponent did spring a shock within the MMA neighborhood, because it was anticipated that the Armenian-Russian would tackle Charles Oliveira in a rematch.
Addressing the identical in a chat with Nina Marie Daniele in the course of the Zuffa Boxing 10 occasion in Dublin, Dana White acknowledged that Ruffy wasn’t the combat they’d deliberate for Tsarukyan. He stated, seemingly referring to Oliveira as ‘authentic combat:’
No, no (not Ruffy)! His authentic combat fell out.
Take a look at Dana White’s feedback beneath:
Dana White’s ‘Authentic Opponent’ Charles Oliveira Allegedly Pulled out Following Allan Nascimento’s Loss of life
Charles Oliveira is claimed to have pulled out of the potential rematch in opposition to Arman Tsarukyan because of the dying of his teammate Allan Nascimento.
Nascimento, additionally an UFC fighter (within the flyweight division), handed away on the third of August on account of ‘an obvious coronary heart assault’ he suffered in his sleep. Proper after his dying, Oliveira addressed the dying of his ‘brother’ Nascimento in a touching Instagram story, the place he wrote:
At present I misplaced a brother that combating gave me. Thanks without end for sharing the mats, the coaching, and the whole lot we’ve been by way of collectively…I’ve nothing however gratitude for having you by my aspect, brother—in coaching, in our nook, and in all of the moments we shared. I really like you, man. You had been an unbelievable man. I can’t consider it. You may be missed rather a lot.
Oliveira just isn’t over Nascimento’s dying as he continues posting a boatload of tributes to the late fighter.
