The Armenian has won five straight overall but only stepped into the Octagon twice in the last two years, most recently last November in Qatar, where he submitted Hooker in the second round. There is no question that Tsarukyan is one of the best lightweights on the planet and has already done enough to merit a championship opportunity, but something extra usually tends to happen that gets in the way of that, which is why he’s still waiting to actually step into the Octagon and challenge for the lightweight title.
This is a massive fight for Ruffy, who has scored consecutive stoppage wins over Rafael Fiziev and Michael Chandler since losing to Benoît Saint Denis this time last year in Paris. It’s well established that “Aussie Moz,” as his training partner Alexander Volkanovski and crew have taken to calling him, can style on anyone willing to stand with him, but the key to his long-term viability as a contender is whether or not the Brazilian can defend takedowns and work back to his feet if his butt hits the canvas.
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Things are on hold at the top of the lightweight division at the moment as champion Justin Gaethje ponders his future and everyone else jockeys for position. The winner of this will be in the title mix regardless of what direction things go, and it should be a deeply instructive contest no matter how it plays out.
Joshua Van vs Alexandre Pantoja
Nine months after their first encounter lasted just 26 seconds, Joshua Van and Alexandre Pantoja run it back with the UFC flyweight title hanging in the balance.
Van had a magical year in 2025, winning four fights and closing things out by claiming the title at UFC 323, pushing his overall winning streak to six in the process. He added to that number in May with a hard-fought successful title defense against Tatsuro Taira and now gets the opportunity to silence any questions about his standing atop the division by facing off with Pantoja once again.
