Why did Oliveira refuse the fight? Tsarukyan reveals the secrets of the bout against Ruffy

UFC lightweight top contender Arman Tsarukyan has revealed the reason behind his decision to step into the octagon against promising Brazilian fighter Mauricio Ruffy.

The Armenian athlete, who was initially preparing for a rematch against former champion Charles Oliveira, spoke in detail about the sudden change of plans and the crucial agreement reached with UFC management.

Oliveira's tragedy and the Ruffy option: How did events unfold?

Tsarukyan explained the training camp and the opponent change process as follows:

• The cancelled plan with Oliveira: «Initially, I accepted the offer for a number-one contender fight against Charles Oliveira and had already started training in Romania. However, a close friend of Oliveira passed away, and the organization informed me that they were looking for a new opponent»;

• Ending the year-long hiatus: «After that, the name Mauricio Ruffy came up, and I immediately agreed. Because I hadn't fought at all this year and didn't want to remain inactive. The bout against Ruffy was a very convenient option to keep my career active».

«Title fight after the win»: UFC guarantee

The fighter emphasized that he demanded an important condition from the organization in exchange for his consent:

• Official path to the belt: «I stated that after this confrontation, I must definitely fight for the championship belt. The UFC management fully agreed to this condition»;

• Fight date and tournament: The clash between Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy will take place this year on September 20 at the «UFC 331» tournament as part of the event.