Justin Gaethje Reveals He Missed Arman Tsarukyan’s Explosive UFC 331 Due to Donald Trump

UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje has revealed that he missed Arman Tsarukyan's first-round knockout at UFC 331. He took a phone call from US President Donald Trump as soon as the fight began. Tsarukyan's co-main event clash with Mauricio Ruffy at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles was widely viewed as a de facto title eliminator. The Armenian needed a finish to strengthen his claim for the next shot at Gaethje's belt after previously pulling out of a scheduled title fight with Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 in January 2025 due to injury.

Justin Gaethje revealed he missed Arman vs Ruffy because Donald Trump called him ???? “As soon as the bell rang I looked down and Donald Trump was calling me.” “We talked for 4 minutes and when I looked up the first round was over, and then he got knocked out.” https://t.co/SHRyCCus3R

— One Night with Steiny (@onenightsteiny) September 25, 2026

Justin Gaethje: "It's Donald Trump calling me”

Justin Gaethje, who was in the building to watch the card, says he never saw the finish because his phone rang the moment the bell sounded. In a recent episode of the One Night With Steiny podcast, Gaethje said, "It was kind of crazy. So as soon as the bell rang, my phone rang. I looked down, and it's Donald Trump calling me.”

Gaethje answered the call and ended up speaking with the president, which suggested he missed the first round of Tsarukyan vs. Ruffy. 

“So I answered the phone, and we talked for like four minutes. So I missed the entire first round, and then I look up and I'm like, ‘How did his eye get f*** up?' And then he got knocked out." 

Gaethje claimed that the conversation had nothing to do with MMA. Trump, who was with professional golfer Bryson DeChambeau at that moment, had seen Gaethje on television and wanted to praise him. 

Tsarukyan's statement win and Gaethje's injury concerns 

While Gaethje was on the phone, Tsarukyan was producing the kind of performance he said he needed to secure a title shot. Ruffy landed some clean early shots and opened up damage around the Armenian's eye, but the 'Batman' finished the fight with a pair of elbows at 4:56 of Round 1. After the win, Tsarukyan stated that the UFC had told him his next fight would be for the belt.

However, Gaethje has made clear that his immediate focus is recovery, not plotting his next showdown. On the Flagrant Podcast earlier this week, he revealed he is nursing a knee injury and cannot even throw punches properly with one hand as he continues to heal. 

For now, Gaethje says he plans to “enjoy being the champion for the rest of the year” before making a business decision and a life decision about his future. That timeline could push any first defense into 2027, leaving Tsarukyan and possibly Topuria or McGregor waiting to see whether the next call that matters comes from the UFC's matchmakers, not the White House.