Arman Tsarukyan’s night ended in under five minutes, but the payout sheet from UFC 331 tells a longer story about where he actually stood on the card he helped headline.
The lightweight contender put away Mauricio Ruffy with a first-round knockout in the co-main event. According to sources, by the numbers released through the California State Athletic Commission, his disclosed $350,000 flat fee landed him in the middle of the pack rather than near the top.
Four athletes on the same card had higher figures attached to their names: flyweight champion Joshua Van at $500,000, title challenger Alexandre Pantoja at $650,000, and featured names Patricio Freire and Marlon Vera, both logged at $400,000.
Pantoja’s number stands out on its own. Despite walking in as the challenger trying to take Van’s belt back in their rematch, he outearned the champion by $150,000 on the disclosed sheet, a reversal of the usual hierarchy where the man defending the title commands the bigger check.
Tsarukyan’s $350,000 tied him with Tai Tuivasa for fifth on the list, ahead of names like Alonzo Menifield, Edmen Shahbazyan and Robelis Despaigne. His opponent Ruffy worked under a show-win structure, guaranteed $110,000 to compete with a matching $110,000 bonus had he won, capping his disclosed ceiling at $220,000 regardless of the outcome.
What isn’t in question is how Tsarukyan handled his business once the cage door shut. Ruffy came out throwing kicks and clean punches early, testing Tsarukyan’s composure, but the pressure shifted once Tsarukyan backed him toward the fence and started working from the clinch.
Ruffy had sharpened his takedown defense heading into the match, and it showed, but it wasn’t enough to keep him upright against the volume Tsarukyan brought. Two elbows landed in sequence, the second one crumpling Ruffy at 4:56 of the first round.
Tsarukyan made clear afterward that the finish wasn’t just about the win itself but about what it unlocks next.
“I needed the finish to get my title shot,” Tsarukyan said.
