Mauricio Ruffy has opened up on exactly where his fight against Arman Tsarukyan slipped away, admitting the finish came down to one costly lapse rather than being outclassed.
“When I got that flash knockdown and felt his strength starting to fade, he was already hurt, and his eye was really swollen. He was going to take a lot of shots up top, and I knew I was going to finish the fight in the second round,” Ruffy said.
Mauricio Ruffy Explains the Final Sequence Before the Knockout
Mauricio Ruffy detailed the exact moment that turned the fight.
“When the guys yelled at me that there were ten seconds left and he shot for my legs, that was actually the best thing for me. I thought, ‘He’s going to spend a little more energy here. The second round is going to start, and I’m going to knock him out.’ There were four seconds left, so I had strikes I could have thrown. I could have gotten away from the fence, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to use that moment against him, and it was a good idea. I just got careless. I relaxed, relaxed my defense, which is something I normally don’t do. So I paid the price for that.”
He closed with a message to his fans:
“I want to apologize to my fans for the sadness of the loss. I know it’s not easy to support someone through a defeat, but guys, I’m learning.”
How Long Is Mauricio Ruffy Suspended After UFC 331 Knockout Loss?
Mauricio Ruffy’s finish also puts him on the clock medically. UFC fighters who suffer a knockout loss are typically handed a mandatory medical suspension by the overseeing athletic commission; standard terms usually fall in the 30 to 45-day range with no-contact restrictions attached, though commissions can extend that to a potential 180 days if there’s concern about a possible fracture or the fighter needs further clearance, such as a CT scan or neurological evaluation, before being cleared to resume training.
The exact length for Ruffy specifically will depend on the commission’s post-fight medical report, but based on standard precedent for a finish of that nature, he can expect at least several weeks on the sidelines before returning to full training.
With Arman Tsarukyan now positioned for a possible title opportunity off the win, Ruffy will have to use his suspension period to recover fully before mapping out his own path back into lightweight contention.
About The Author
