TLDR
- Arman Tsarukyan claimed Alexander Volkanovski ‘doesn’t know how to wrestle’ during UFC 331 press conference
- Mauricio Ruffy defended his coach Volkanovski, citing the champion’s history and performance against top fighters
- Volkanovski traveled to Los Angeles to corner Ruffy for his lightweight title eliminator against Tsarukyan
- Press conference also featured controversial exchanges involving Gable Steveson and Sean Sharaf
- UFC 331 takes place Sunday with Joshua Van defending flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja
Sources: foxsports.com.au | sports.yahoo.com
Alexander Volkanovski became an unexpected target at Friday’s UFC 331 press conference in Los Angeles, despite not being scheduled to fight on the card.
The UFC featherweight champion traveled from Australia to corner his new Brazilian teammate Mauricio Ruffy. Ruffy faces Arman Tsarukyan on Sunday in a lightweight title eliminator bout.
The exchange started when a reporter asked Ruffy about his claim that he could go five rounds with Tsarukyan. Ruffy credited his training camp with Team Volkanovski for improving his takedown defense.
Tsarukyan Questions Champion’s Wrestling
Tsarukyan interrupted with a direct comment about the featherweight champion. “We need someone to teach Volk how to wrestle first,” the Armenian fighter said.
Ruffy immediately defended his coach through an interpreter. “I know you’re playing this for the crowd, but I’ve gotta tell you, you have to respect a champion like Alexander Volkanovski,” Ruffy said.
The Brazilian fighter pointed to Volkanovski’s extensive UFC history. “After all the storied history he has built in the UFC, after everything he has done even with Islam Makhachev, you’re gunna tell me he doesn’t know wrestling?” Ruffy asked.
Mauricio Ruffy defends his teammate Alexander Volkanovski after Arman Tsarukyan said he can't wrestle:
🗣️ Arman: "We need someone to teach Volk how to wrestle first."
🗣️ Ruffy: "You gotta respect a champion like Alexander Volkanovski."
🗣️ Arman: "Nobody said I don't respect… pic.twitter.com/U4IWOxeWZT
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 18, 2026
Tsarukyan maintained his position while claiming respect for the champion. “Nobody said I don’t respect him. I just said he doesn’t know how to wrestle,” he stated.
Volkanovski is currently in training camp for his next title defense. He will face Movsar Evloev at UFC 333 in late October.
Other Press Conference Controversies
The press conference featured multiple heated exchanges beyond the Volkanovski discussion. Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson faced loud boos from the Los Angeles crowd.
His opponent Sean Sharaf made direct reference to a 2019 sexual assault allegation involving Steveson. The allegation did not result in criminal charges, but Sharaf called him a “rapist” during the media event.
Steveson responded by calling Sharaf a “coward” and suggested his opponent was looking for a way out of the fight. Sharaf then questioned why Steveson turned down a previous fight opportunity.
UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van promised to defeat former champion Alexandre Pantoja again. “Man, I can’t wait, I get to whoop his ass again,” Van said about Sunday’s main event.
Tsarukyan predicted he would finish Ruffy in the second round. He dismissed Ruffy’s claims about being ready for a five-round fight.
“I don’t need five rounds. I’m going to finish him in the second round,” Tsarukyan said. He confirmed that a victory would earn him a title shot against current lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.
Ruffy responded to Tsarukyan’s claim of being the division’s uncrowned champion. “Arman is not a champion. You are not a champion until you have the belt,” Ruffy said.
Tsarukyan fired back with a prediction. “You’ll never fight for the belt,” he told the Brazilian fighter.
UFC 331 takes place Sunday, September 20, at 11 AM AEST. The card features Van defending his flyweight title against Pantoja in the main event, with Tsarukyan versus Ruffy in the co-main event.
