Dana White intervenes to prevent faceoff shenanigans between Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy

Physical confrontation was avoided at the UFC 331 press event after Dana White stepped in to separate Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy. The intervention occurred during the fighters' first scheduled faceoff, effectively stalling an escalation before the bout.

The incident follows a turbulent lead-up to the event, which includes the removal of Charles Oliveira from the card due to the death of Allan Nascimento, as noted by Daniel Cormier. MMA Fighting reports indicate that White’s presence was necessary to manage behavior during the meeting between Tsarukyan and Ruffy.

Coverage suggests the fight holds significant career implications, with Tsarukyan stating that a victory at UFC 331 should secure a title shot against Justin Gaethje. While Tsarukyan maintains a goal of competing three times per year as a future champion, the official status of the title progression following this specific bout remains to be confirmed by the organization.