Tsarukyan explains Vozinha joke ahead of UFC 331 fight with Ruffy

Arman Tsarukyan, the UFC’s No. 2 lightweight contender, has explained why he told some fans that he would fight Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha at UFC 331. The Armenian is scheduled to meet No. 7-ranked Mauricio Ruffy in the co-main event next month.

The joke came from Ruffy’s resemblance to Vozinha, whose full name is not given in the available information. Tsarukyan said people around him often did not know who Ruffy was when he mentioned the Brazilian fighter, even after he explained that Ruffy had beaten Michael Chandler and Rafael Fiziev.

Instead of repeating the explanation, Tsarukyan began using Vozinha’s name. He said fans would recognise that Vozinha was a football player, allowing him to make clear that the comparison was about Ruffy’s appearance rather than the identity of his opponent.

Tsarukyan described the fight as dangerous despite the light-hearted comparison. Ruffy is a 30-year-old knockout specialist, while Tsarukyan has said he now intends to finish the contest by submission. Their exchange at the UFC 331 press conference also centred on Ruffy’s finishing ambition, with Tsarukyan reminding him that defending against a submission would be part of his preparation.

The matchup changed after Tsarukyan had initially been set to face Charles Oliveira. Tsarukyan said he had already spent three weeks preparing for that contest, with a camp focused largely on striking, and had planned to try to knock Oliveira out within three rounds.

Oliveira later withdrew after the death of his close friend and teammate Allan Nascimento. His fellow Brazilian Ruffy then stepped in, giving Tsarukyan a different opponent and forcing a change in his preparation for UFC 331. Tsarukyan had previously beaten Oliveira by split decision.