Misfits Boxing and Zuffa LLC

Tony Ferguson was happy to see Arman Tsarukyan pull off the elbow that he claims to have taught “Batman.”

Tsarukyan collided with Mauricio Ruffy in the UFC 331 co-main event on Sept. 19. Ruffy found some success early on, tagging Tsarukyan with a punch and demonstrating solid takedown defense. It didn’t take long for Tsarukyan to find an opening, however.

The top-ranked UFC lightweight delivered a crushing elbow that knocked Ruffy out cold before the opening frame ended. Many believe the win solidified Tsarukyan as the No. 1 contender for Justin Gaethje’s title, and Ferguson couldn’t be happier.

In an interview with Fred Beck of “Fred Talks Fighting,” Ferguson recalled helping Tsarukyan drill the elbow strike that earned him the statement-making win at UFC 331 (h/t Bloody Elbow).

“I remember showing Arman that elbow over in Thailand,” Ferguson said. “I told Tabitha [Ricci] too. When it comes down to it, you know who taught me that one? One of my friends at the Rain Training Center.

“Being a good neighbor goes very far if you’re willing to be that person. If you want to be an a–hole, go ahead, keep all your intuition to yourself. Being able to push people to that next level and not being selfish… You just keep pulling people up.”

Tsarukyan will have to wait until 2027 to get his shot at 155-pound gold. Gaethje is out of action for the remainder of 2026 after suffering injuries to both his hands during his title win over Ilia Topuria back in June. “Batman” has claimed that Gaethje is avoiding him.

As for Ferguson, he’s set to put his Misfits Boxing middleweight title at stake against Mahmoud Sebie on Saturday. Travel issues prevented Ferguson’s original opponent, Kenzo Biyong, from going through with the title fight.

What do you make of Tony Ferguson claiming to have taught Arman Tsarukyan the fight-winning elbow? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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