Mauricio Ruffi promises to become a superstar of Khabib’s division. During the night from May 4th to 5th in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), a bright numbered UFC 301 event took place, featuring a large number of South American fighters. It is worth noting that the preliminary card also had impressive performances. Particular attention should be paid to the match where Mauricio Ruffi and Jamie Malarkey faced off. The Brazilian put on a powerful performance, confidently handling his opponent and debuted in the best league on the planet with a victory. After the fight, he unexpectedly made a remark towards the champion – Islam Makhachev. The fight itself was beautiful but quick. The most interesting events occurred in the last minute of the first round. First, Ruffi executed a very unconventional sweep, which drove the crowd wild with excitement. Then Mauricio began literally dismantling his opponent in hand-to-hand combat. He broke his opponent’s nose and brought him down to the canvas. Malarkey withstood the first fall and got up. But the Brazilian moved on to a brutal finishing move, which Jamie could no longer withstand. After the second fall, the referee decided to stop the fight. After his debut match, Ruffi decided to ignite and immediately demonstrate his claims to greater achievements in the UFC. He made threats to the current division champion – Makhachev: ‘I have a message for Islam Makhachev. Enjoy your time at the top while you can. I know you are upset because I beat your friend. The new king is coming.’
The friend mentioned in this message is Raymond Magomedaliev. Ruffi met the Russian during Dana White’s Contender Series show. Last October, the opponents clashed in a battle for a UFC contract. Then, the fight ended in a technical knockout. It seemed that the fight was heading towards a judge’s decision, which also would likely not have been in the Russian’s favor. But the Brazilian turned up the heat to the maximum and finished the fight 15 seconds before the end of the third round. Ruffi really has the potential to become a bright star in Makhachev and Khabib’s division. He holds a professional record of 10-1 and all his victories have been by technical knockouts. The Brazilian possesses powerful striking skills, but is also very flexible and technical. It’s not entirely clear how Mauricio feels about grappling. Interestingly, Ruffi’s only loss came by knockout. None of the Brazilian’s fights have ever reached a judge’s decision.
Interestingly, Mauricio is trying to become ‘the next Conor’. Lately, many fighters consciously copy the mannerisms, habits, and even fighting style of McGregor. Now Ruffi has also stated his emulation of the Irishman: ‘I don’t mind being compared to Conor. This guy performed brilliantly in the UFC before. I try to emulate him. He taught how to make money by fighting. Thanks to everyone who compares me to McGregor.’ Ruffi indeed has the potential to become a UFC star – he has all the resources for it. It’s just that his desire to meet Islam in the octagon is unlikely ever to be realized. To get a title shot, the Brazilian will have to do a lot of work, and that will take a long time.