Cejudo: Mauricio Ruffy Could Earn Title Shot vs. Gaethje with UFC 331 Win

Saturday’s UFC 331 co-main event is being billed as a No. 1 contender bout between Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy. Tsarukyan enters the matchup as a heavy favorite, having won five consecutive bouts and 10 of his past 11. Tsarukyan previously lost an opportunity to fight then-champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 after pulling out a day prior due to a back injury, and despite a dominant win over Dan Hooker following that incident, he has remained waiting for his crack at the belt.

While Tsarukyan holds the stronger résumé, former two-division champion Henry Cejudo believes Ruffy could jump the line with an upset victory. Speaking on his Pound 4 Pound podcast, Cejudo pointed to Ruffy's surge in fan popularity, driven by highlight-reel finishes including a 2025 Knockout of the Year over King Green and a stoppage of Michael Chandler at the UFC White House event in June.

Current lightweight champion Justin Gaethje is not expected to defend his title until 2027, and while former champion Ilia Topuria has been angling for a rematch, Cejudo thinks matchmakers could turn to Ruffy. Cejudo suggested that UFC leadership may still hold Tsarukyan's last-minute UFC 311 withdrawal against him, making an explosive matchup between Ruffy and Gaethje an appealing option for the promotion.