The full UFC 331 lineup is now set, with Joshua Van defending his flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja in a long-awaited rematch following their bizarre first meeting at UFC 323. The co-main event will feature Arman Tsarukyan’s return as he takes on Mauricio Ruffy at 155 pounds.
However, Ruffy wasn’t originally supposed to be standing across from Tsarukyan. The Armenian had reportedly been booked to face Charles Oliveira before tragedy forced the former lightweight champion out of the matchup.
Oliveira withdrew following the death of his longtime teammate Allan Nascimento, who passed away after suffering an apparent heart attack in his sleep on August 3, 2026, at the age of 34. Given the circumstances, it was understandable that Oliveira needed time away from fighting.
View this post on Instagram
Tsarukyan, however, isn’t entirely convinced that Nascimento’s death was the only reason behind his opponent’s withdrawal. During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Tsarukyan confirmed that he was originally scheduled to face Oliveira on September 19 in Los Angeles.
He said, “So, I was supposed to fight with Charles – co-main event, five rounds. Then I went for my training camp, and then they, two weeks (later) when I was in the mountains, called me and said, ‘We got a new name for you. It’s Rufy.’ I said, ‘Ok, no problem,’ because I don’t want to pull out and wait for the Charles (rematch) because (it’s) L.A., five rounds. You know, it’s a big card, and I haven’t fought in a long time, and I need this fight. So, and yeah, that’s all.”
But Tsarukyan isn’t buying the idea that Oliveira’s grieving process completely explains his decision to pull out. The Armenian pointed to Oliveira continuing to train and even appearing on TikTok Live, suggesting that he believes the Brazilian may have been looking for a way out of the matchup.
Tsarukyan added, “Charles’ friend died, and he cannot train, but I don’t understand. In three days or four days, he’s doing live streams and, like, back in the camp, and they probably already set it up with Diego Lopes. He was just finding excuses, and now he just finds excuses.”
The 29-year-old also acknowledged that everyone deals with grief differently but couldn’t resist taking another shot at Oliveira, suggesting the former champion would rather face Lopes than accept a fight with him.
Tsarukyan added, “And I don’t know, like everybody’s different. Yeah, to lose somebody so hard, but you could beat me and dedicate this victory to your friend, but you never know. But, of course, like fight me or Diego Lopes, for sure he would pick Diego Lopes.”
Arman Tsarukyan discusses losing the Charles Oliveira matchup and why some things still don’t add up to him:
“They told me Charles’ friend died and he couldn’t train. But I don’t understand, because three or four days later he was doing live streams and was back in camp. I think… pic.twitter.com/IS2XFGUYF8
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) August 17, 2026
There is also an interesting wrinkle surrounding Oliveira’s next potential fight. Tsarukyan’s original booking with “Do Bronx” was not for the BMF title. However, the Armenian believes the UFC could now put Oliveira and Diego Lopes together with the BMF belt on the line.
Lopes currently competes at featherweight but has made it clear that he wants to move up to 155 pounds. The Brazilian recently posted a photo with UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell and captioned it “#155,” further fueling speculation about his move to lightweight after falling short twice against Alexander Volkanovski in featherweight title fights.
Oliveira is now reportedly in talks to make his return against Lopes at UFC 334 in November. The event is tentatively scheduled for November 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, although nothing has been officially confirmed yet.
If the matchup comes together, it would give Oliveira considerably more time to grieve and get himself mentally ready before stepping back into the Octagon. For Tsarukyan, meanwhile, the focus now shifts to Ruffy at UFC 331, and perhaps settling the score with Oliveira somewhere down the line.
MORE MMA NEWS:
-
Sean Strickland Blasts Din Thomas for Publicly Burying Gillian Robertson After UFC 330 Loss
-
Islam Makhachev Fires Back at Max Holloway Over Two-Belt Celebration at UFC 330
-
Alexander Volkanovski and Petr Yan Lead Stacked UFC 333 Card With Title Defenses
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
