Tsarukyan Uses Johnson's Clinch Drills to KO Ruffy at UFC 331
Arman Tsarukyan's first-round KO of Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 was directly linked to clinch drills taught by Demetrious Johnson, who has now publicly insisted that Tsarukyan is owed a title shot against Justin Gaethje in early 2027.
Sherdog reports that Demetrious Johnson provided a detailed breakdown of the finish, praising Tsarukyan for resisting the urge to wrestle in the clinch and instead executing the specific hand-stripping and striking sequences they drilled. Johnson explicitly dismissed Ilia Topuria as a contender, declaring that Tsarukyan is currently owed a title shot against Justin Gaethje.
Source: SherdogAccording to boxingnews.com, Demetrious Johnson has publicly backed Tsarukyan for a title shot against Justin Gaethje, arguing that the specific clinch techniques used to finish Ruffy are essential for handling Gaethje's pace and wrestling.
Source: boxingnews.comArman Tsarukyan finished Mauricio Ruffy with an elbow strike that Demetrious Johnson explicitly taught him during their shared training camp.
Source: Sherdog
