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Arman Tsarukyan vs Mauricio Ruffy booked for UFC 331 as Joshua Van vs Alexandre Pantoja 2 headlines

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Arman Tsarukyan has been handed a surprising opponent for his return to the Octagon, with the lightweight contender facing Mauricio Ruffy in the co-main event of UFC 331.

Tsarukyan had been expected to face “Baddest Motherf*****” champion Charles Oliveira in a rematch of their 2024 bout, which Tsarukyan narrowly won on points. But instead, he will face a different Brazilian on 19 September: fellow contender Ruffy.

Their fight will be Tsarukyan’s first in the UFC since he stopped Dan Hooker in November, with the Armenian, 29, having gone 10-1-1 in wrestling matches since then.

UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan
UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan (Getty)

Fans have theorised that Tsarukyan has not been in the UFC’s good books since he withdrew from a title shot against then-champion Islam Makhachev, with the Armenian pulling out injured on one day’s notice in January 2025.

And earlier this year, UFC president Dana White admitted at a press conference: “I’m not thrilled with Arman right now, and there’s a lot of different reasons. It’s not just the stuff that you see publicly.”

Some fans will feel this explains the No 2 lightweight’s pairing with 10th-ranked Ruffy, 30, although others speculated that Tsarukyan vs Oliveira 2 was in the works, only for Oliveira to withdraw after the death of his teammate Allan Nascimento.

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Nascimento, who fought in the UFC’s flyweight division, died suddenly from an apparent heart attack this week. He was 34 years old.

“Man I can’t believe it, it seems like a f***ing lie brother, it’s crazy,” Oliveira wrote on Instagram. “I don’t even know how I’m going to get onto the mat and go to a fight knowing you’re not going to be there.

“It hurts a f***ing lot brother […] Rest in peace and watch everything. Until after the end.”

Alexandre Pantoja (right) suffered an early injury in December as he lost his belt to Joshua Van
Alexandre Pantoja (right) suffered an early injury in December as he lost his belt to Joshua Van (Getty)

In the main event of UFC 331, which will take place at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Joshua Van defends his flyweight title in a rematch with Alexandre Pantoja.

Pantoja was dominant as flyweight champion before losing the belt to Van in December, due to an injury inside the first 30 seconds. Van then retained the belt by stopping Tatsuro Taira in the final round of an instant classic in May.

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Jimin: “Lovely and angelic” – Fans melt over BTS’ Jimin as he personally hands water to members during the ARIRANG World Tour in Foxborough Day 1

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3 minutes ago

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6 August 2026

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On August 5, 2026, BTS’ Jimin caught fans’ attention with his gesture during the group’s show at Gillette Stadium. The moment occurred during the ending ment portion, where Jimin personally handed water bottles to each of them in turn. Jimin carried the water and approached them one by one to distribute it before continuing with the segment. This took place on Day 1 of the two-night stop in Foxborough for the BTS’ ARIRANG World Tour.

Videos of the water distribution moment from the concert circulated online shortly after the show. The clip received significant engagement as it spread across the social media platform X.

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Soon, fans started praising Jimin and sharing their comments on X.

One fan commented:

“Translated from Korean: Lovely and angelic Jimin ✨🫶 WE LOVE YOU JIMIN”

Translated from KoreanLovely and angelic Jimin ✨🫶​WE LOVE YOU JIMIN

Several fans chimed in and commented on Jimin’s gesture.

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It’s the little things like this that show how thoughtful Jimin is 🥹

Jimin is such an angel. He didn’t even get a water, gave them all to the other members. 🥹

Such a beautiful heart u have jimin 😻💜

jimin is truly an angel always taking care of the members

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More fans shared their thoughts on X.

Jimin taking care of the members on stage is the sweetest thing ever. He truly is an absolute angel who always looks out for everyone around him.

Jimin always takes care of everyone.

Jimin’s caring nature always shines, he looks after his members so naturally.

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the sweetest park jimin 🥹🫶🏼

BTS at Gillette Stadium

During the surprise song portion of the encore, BTS performed Paradise and No More Dream. Now several fans are debating whether Love Maze is next on the list.

In his ending ment, Jimin spoke about his middle school days. He recalled thinking that ranking first in his school would lead him to Harvard, then noted that he had not actually achieved that ranking. He went on to express regret that the group had taken so long to reach the Boston area.

He also said that if the members had known the audience would welcome them with such strong support, sing along to the songs, and offer such warm smiles, they would have visited much earlier. He thanked the crowd, said the night had been a happy one for the group because of everyone present, and expressed hope the evening would remain memorable for those who attended. He closed by asking everyone to return home safely.

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Separately, at the preceding MetLife Stadium shows in East Rutherford, camera operators captured extended close footage of Jimin during moments when he appeared affected by the heat and humidity on the outdoor stage. He repeatedly directed the camera away. This incident has caused fury among fans.