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Tag: Mauricio Ruffy

  • “Stayed Calm And Delivered” – Fighters & Fans React As Mauricio Ruffy Rocks And Drops Rafael Fiziev At UFC 325

    “Stayed Calm And Delivered” – Fighters & Fans React As Mauricio Ruffy Rocks And Drops Rafael Fiziev At UFC 325

    After suffering just the second loss of his career last time out, Mauricio Ruffy has rebounded with a strong finish of Rafael Fiziev at UFC 325.

    After a feeling-out process for the first 90 seconds, Ruffy was able to pin Fiziev to the fence and look for a clinch. Fiziev worked his way off though, and the two started to look for their strong strikes, albeit a lot of single strikes.

    Fiziev looked to close angles and cut off the cage, using his footwork to try and control the action. Ruffy did not see to provide as much offense as he potentially could, though he was still noticeably landing on Fiziev.

    Things were taken to another level in the middle of the second round, with Ruffy landing a right hook that stunned Fiziev. Fiziev tried to regain his footing, but Ruffy did not let up, leading to the second-round TKO.

    Mauricio Ruffy Finishes Rafael Fiziev At UFC 325

    Ruffy is now 4-1, with three finishes, in his UFC career. The Dana White Contender Series alumnus rebounds from a loss to Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC Paris this past September.

    Fiziev has now lost four of his last five fights. His losses include a pair of losses to Justin Gaethje and the injury he suffered against Mateusz Gamrot. He scored a victory over Ignacio Bahamondes at UFC Baku in June.

  • “Fraud Checked” – Fans & Fighters React As Benoit Saint Denis Dominates Mauricio Ruffy En Route To Second-Round Submission At UFC Paris

    “Fraud Checked” – Fans & Fighters React As Benoit Saint Denis Dominates Mauricio Ruffy En Route To Second-Round Submission At UFC Paris

    In front of his home country, Benoit Saint Denis may have scored the biggest victory in his MMA career, finishing the rising Mauricio Ruffy in the UFC Paris co-main event.

    Saint Denis got off to a quick start, pressuring Ruffy and getting him up against the fence. The action moved to the ground, and Saint Denis got into full mount just 60 seconds into the bout. Saint Denis looked to get to Ruffy’s back, but Ruffy shook him off and brought the fight back to the feet. BSD would bring the action back to the ground, keeping Ruffy in his grasp until an accidental low blow, and then controlling the action on the feet in the round’s final 40 seconds.

    BSD remained in firm control, scoring a takedown during the second round before locking in a rear-naked choke and scoring the submission.

    Benoit Saint Denis Submits Mauricio Ruffy At UFC Paris

    Saint Denis has now won two straight and seven of his last nine. This marked his second straight submission win, following his submission of Kyle Prepolec at UFC 315.

    This marks just the second loss of Ruffy’s professional MMA career. He was 3-0 in the UFC entering this fight, coming into tonight off a head-kick knockout of King Green at UFC 313.

  • UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights:Ā Nassourdine Imavov Decisions Caio BorralhoĀ 

    UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights:Ā Nassourdine Imavov Decisions Caio BorralhoĀ 

    UFC Fight Night took place tonight from theĀ Accor ArenaĀ in Paris, France and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights!Ā 

    In the main event, middleweightsĀ Nassourdine Imavov and Caio BorralhoĀ clashed. While in the co-main event,Ā Benoit Saint DenisĀ faced off withĀ Mauricio RuffyĀ in a lightweight matchup. Ā 

    UFC Fight Night Results: Main Card

    • Middleweight bout: Nassourdine Imavov def. Caio BorralhoĀ via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46×2)
    • Lightweight bout: Benoit Saint Denis def. Mauricio Ruffy via submission: R2, 2:56
    • Light heavyweight bout: Modestas Bukauskas def. Paul Craig via KO: R1, 5:00
    • Lightweight bout: Mason Jones def. Bolaji Oki via TKO: R2, 3.18
    • Welterweight bout: Axel Sola def. Rhys McKee via TKO: R3, 2:02
    • Featherweight bout: William Gomis def. Robert Ruchala via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28×2)

    Preliminary Card

    • Light Heavyweight bout: Oumar Sy def. Brendson Ribeiro via TKO: R1, 4:42
    • Heavyweight bout: Ante Delija def. Marcin Tybura via KO: R1: 2:03
    • Lightweight bout: Kaue Fernandes def. Harry Hardwick via TKO: R1, 3:21
    • Welterweight bout: Sam Patterson def. Trey Waters via TKO: R1, 3:01
    • Middleweight bout: Robert Bryczek def. Brad Tavares via TKO: R3, 1:43
    • Welterweight bout: Rinat Fakhretdinov def. Andreas Gustafsson via TKO: R1, 0:54 

    Strawweight bout: Sam Hughes def. Shauna Bannon via submission: R2, 1:58Ā Ā 

    Preliminary Card Highlights

    Sam Hughes def. Shauna Bannon

    Rinat Fakhretdinov def. Andreas Gustafsson

    Robert Bryczek def. Brad Tavares

    Sam Patterson def. Trey Waters

    Kaue Fernandes def. Harry Hardwick

    Ante Delija def. Marcin Tybura

    Oumar Sy def. Brendson Ribeiro

    Main Card Highlights

    William Gomis def. Robert Ruchala

    William Gomis got it done with a unanimous decision.

    Axel Sola def. Rhys McKee

    Axel Sola earned a TKO in the third round.

    Mason Jones def. Bolaji Oki

    Mason Jones earned a TKO in round two.

    Modestas Bukauskas def. Paul Craig

    Modestas Bukauskas earned a KO at the end of round one, with Paul Craig announcing his retirement after the fight.

    Benoit Saint Denis def. Mauricio Ruffy

    In the co-main event, Benoit Saint Denis locked in a rear-naked choke to get the win in this lightweight bout.

    Nassourdine Imavov def. Caio BorralhoĀ 

    In the main event, Nassourdine Imavov earned a comfortable unanimous decision victory over Caio Borralho.

  • UFC Paris Fight Card Gets Benoit Saint Denis vs. Mauricio Ruffy On September 6

    UFC Paris Fight Card Gets Benoit Saint Denis vs. Mauricio Ruffy On September 6

    The UFC Paris lineup has reportedly been strengthened with a potential barnburner of a matchup.

    According to a recent report from Bulgarian Top Team, Benoit Saint Denis is set to take on surging knockout artist Mauricio Ruffy at UFC Paris, which is scheduled to take place on September 6 at the Accor Arena in France.

    Saint Denis last competed at UFC 315, where he earned an impressive second-round submission victory over Kyle Prepolec. The win marked a much-needed return to the win column for the 29-year-old Frenchman after suffering back-to-back stoppage losses to Renato Moicano and Dustin Poirier in 2024.

    Before those setbacks, ā€œGod of Warā€ was riding a five-fight win streak, with all victories coming by way of stoppage against notable names like Matt Frevola and Thiago Moises. Saint Denis currently boasts a professional record of 14-3, with every one of his wins coming inside the distance.

    Meanwhile, Ruffy was seen in action at UFC 313 in March, delivering a stunning first-round wheel kick knockout over King Green. The Fighting Nerds standout earned his UFC contract with a third-round knockout of Raimond Magomedaliev on Dana Whiteā€™s Contender Series in October 2023.

    Ruffy heads into UFC Paris riding a seven-fight win streak, with his lone career setback coming against Manoel Sousa under the Standout Fighting Tournament banner in November 2019. The 29-year-old Brazilian powerhouse holds a pro record of 12-1, with 11 of those victories coming by way of knockout.

    UFC 309's Mauricio Ruffy
    Image: DWCS/Zuffa LLC

    What Are The Confirmed Bouts For UFC Paris?

    UFC Paris will be headlined by a pivotal middleweight showdown between Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho, with potential title implications on the line. The Fight Night event will also feature a heavyweight clash between Marcin Tybura and Ante Delija. Also on the card is a featherweight matchup pitting William Gomis against Robert Ruchała. Rounding out the announced bouts, Modestas Bukauskas is set to face Paul Craig in a light heavyweight tilt.

    Hereā€™s the confirmed lineup for UFC Paris:

    Main Card

    • Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho; middleweight
    • Benoit Saint Denis vs. Mauricio Ruffy; lightweight
    • Modestas Bukauskas vs. Paul Craig; light heavyweight
    • Marcin Tybura vs. Ante Delija; heavyweight
    • Bolaji Oki vs. Mason Jones; lightweight
    • Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Andreas Gustafsson; welterweight

    Preliminary Card

    • William Gomis vs. Robert Ruchała; featherweight
    • Oumar Sy vs. Brendson Ribeiro; light heavyweight
    • Shauna Bannon vs. Sam Hughes; strawweight
    • Yuneisy Duben vs. Kennedy Freeman; flyweight
    • Fares Ziam vs. Kaue Fernandes; lightweight
    • Sam Patterson vs. Trey Waters; welterweight
    Photo by Tim Wheaton
  • Mauricio Ruffy Touts Teammate To Beat Khamzat Chimaev, Become First UFC Champion From Fighting Nerds

    Mauricio Ruffy Touts Teammate To Beat Khamzat Chimaev, Become First UFC Champion From Fighting Nerds

    UFC lightweight contender Mauricio Ruffy has backed his teammate Caio Borralho to end the undefeated run of Khamzat Chimaev in mixed martial arts.

    Talk of Borralho and Chimaev sharing the cage has arisen this week following reports of an injury to UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis, who was expected to defend his gold against “Borz” this summer.

    It didn’t take long for Borralho to raise his hand as a possible replacement opponent. Like Chimaev, “The Natural” is yet to taste defeat in the UFC, winning all seven of his bouts en route to #6 in the 185-pound rankings.

    Chimaev hasn’t publicly responded to Borralho’s callout thus far, and it would seem that one of the Brazilian’s prominent Fighting Nerds stablemates is already running out of patience.

    “Enough bullshit,” Ruffy wrote on X (translated from Portuguese). “@KChimaev we all know how camp training works. @ufc send the contract, let’s take that belt! @BorralhoCaio will be the first Fighting (Nerds) to win the belt.”

  • VIDEO: Mauricio Ruffy Faceplants King Green With Devastating Wheel Kick At UFC 313

    VIDEO: Mauricio Ruffy Faceplants King Green With Devastating Wheel Kick At UFC 313

    The Fighting Nerds continue to do amazing things in the Octagon, with Mauricio Ruffy opening up the UFC 313 pay-per-view main card in style courtesy of a highlight, first-round knockout of King Green.

    Green started the fight on the back foot as he tried to strategize against Ruffy, but that led to “One Shot” hitting him with a hook that left its mark.

    About a minute later, the Brazilian put the veteran away in brutal fashion, landing a spinning head kick that faceplanted Green.

    Mauricio Ruffy Lands Heavy Wheel Kick To KO King Green At UFC 313

    https://twitter.com/mmaclipz2025/status/1898575699029725627

    Ruffy is now 3-0 in the Octagon after winning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in late 2023. He previously scored victories over Jamie Mullarkey and James Llontop at UFC 301 and UFC 309, respectively.

    Green, meanwhile, is now 1-3 in his last four fights but is 3-3 in his most recent six. Last year saw Green defeat Jim Miller but fall short against Paddy Pimblett.

  • King Green Booked For First UFC Fight Since Brutal Submission Loss To Paddy Pimblett

    King Green is set to make his first Octagon appearance of 2025 at UFC 313.

    According to a recent report by MMA Maniaā€™s Alex Behunin, the formerly ranked veteran is slated to face rising prospect Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 313, which is set to take place on March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

    The Fighting Nerds member enters UFC 313 riding the momentum of two consecutive victories in 2024. His first triumph came in May at UFC 301, where he delivered a stunning first-round knockout against Jamie Mullarkey. He followed up this performance with a commanding unanimous decision win over James Llontop at UFC 309 in November.

    Ruffy earned his UFC contract in spectacular fashion on Dana White’s Contender Series, delivering a third-round finish against Raimond Magomedaliev in October 2023. He is on a six-fight win streak, boasting a professional record of 11-1, with 10 of those victories coming by way of knockout.

    On the other hand, Green is looking to bounce back from a first-round submission defeat to Paddy Pimblett at UFC 304 this past July, a setback that followed his unanimous decision victory over Jim Miller at UFC 300 in April. The 38-year-old American continues to search for consistency in the division, having secured just three wins in his last six outings.

    UFC 313 is set to be a potential action-packed event, with reigning light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira defending his title against Magomed Ankalaev in the highly anticipated main event. The co-main attraction will feature former interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje facing off against Dan Hooker in a five-round clash.

  • Henry Cejudo Ranks The Standout Brazilian Stars From The Fighting Nerds

    Henry Cejudo Ranks The Standout Brazilian Stars From The Fighting Nerds

    The Fighting Nerds team out of Brazil has been one of the most exciting stables of fighters to really announce their arrival in 2024. With one fighter signing to the UFC several years ago and proving himself to be a top contender in his division, three other stand outs have made huge impacts inside the Octagon after featuring on last year’s season of the Contender Series.

    With an overall record of 11-0 with nine finishes in the UFC this year, Henry Cejudo recently ranked the four Fighting Nerds competitors that have put their team on the map. Unsurprisingly, he gave top billing to the squad’s unofficial team captain, Caio Borralho.

    Borralho has won seven fights in a row at middleweight to earn himself the #6-ranking with wins over the likes of Jared Cannonier, Paul Craig and Abus Magomedov setting him up for a huge match-up next time out. Cejudo has been particularly impressed with his wrestling and consistency.

    ā€œI got to go with Borralho. His takedown entries are no joke. I wasnā€™t too sure if he was going to get tired but man, heā€™s special so I think heā€™s the first one to lead. Other than him being the first one to lead, Iā€™m going to have to go with Jean Silva.ā€

    Since producing an upset on Contender Series, Silva has won three fights in a row this year at both featherweight and lightweight. His latest win over Drew Dober earned him a performance of the night bonus and though Cejudo wants to see him, and the following names, get tested against a high-level wrestler, he’s very impressed with what he has seen thus far.

    A fighter that will certainly be in the conversation for breakthrough fighter of the year is Carlos Prates who has finished all four of his opponents this year. A first round knockout against Neil Magny in his first main event at the start of this month saw him enter the welterweight rankings at #13.

    ā€œHeā€™s one that I really want to know how good he really is and I do want to see him get tested in that wrestling department. Does Carlos Prates have that threshold of having somebody like a Shavkat or somebody thatā€™s going to wrestle, a Kamaru Usman, someone thatā€™s going to bring that heavy wrestling feel. How is it that he can handle all of that?ā€

    Last but not least is the member of the four who fought the most recently, Mauricio Ruffy. A spectacular debut against Jamie Mullarkey opened his UFC account in style but his performance at UFC 309 where he faced James Llontop wasn’t as impressive after he secured a decision win as a massive favorite coming in.

    ā€œHe just fought this weekend. Very creative, very dangerous on what he does and I do feel like he is special.ā€    

  • Mauricio Ruffy Names Another Desired Opponent After Saint Denis Callout At UFC 309

    Mauricio Ruffy Names Another Desired Opponent After Saint Denis Callout At UFC 309

    UFC lightweight prospect Mauricio Ruffy has names on his mind as he looks toward his third outing inside the Octagon.

    Ruffy made it two wins from two appearances on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage at this past weekend’s UFC 309 pay-per-view, where he got the better of late-notice replacement opponent James Llontop.

    As he did on debut against James Llontop, the Fighting Nerds standout once again put his powerful and innovative striking on full display, most memorably flooring his opponent with a no-look uppercut in round two.

    Having ultimately gone the distance and collected a comfortable decision victory, Ruffy is now on the radar of most as one to watch at 155 pounds moving forward.

    The Brazilian, however, isn’t looking to remain a prospect rising the ranks for much longer.

    During his Octagon interview, Ruffy called out a ranked contender in BenoƮt Saint Denis, who likely has to fight down the ladder next time out after losing consecutive bouts to Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano.

    During an interview with MMA Fighting, Ruffy added another name to his list of post-fight callouts, highlighting the formerly ranked King Green as an alternative option should a clash with “God of War” not come together.

    ā€œIā€™m very excited for a fight with Saint Denis,ā€ Ruffy said. ā€œI think that would be such a cool fight. Some people are advising me to go slow and whatnot, but everything Iā€™ve been through in my life and career earns me that opportunity. The hype is nice, people are talking, and Saint Denis is coming off two losses, so itā€™s an interesting fight.

    “Another fight that would also be very interesting is Bobby Green,” Ruffy continued. “Iā€™d love to fight any of those two names. Iā€™m hoping the UFC will send me a good name and weā€™ll fight soon. Iā€™m taking a break now, but already thinking about fights.ā€

    Green has long shown a willingness to face any and everyone, including young up-and-comers looking to earn a number next to their name at his expense.

    That was the case just this past July when the veteran headed across the pond to face the challenge of Paddy Pimblett in Manchester, England. Green was unable to stall “The Baddy’s” rise, instead finding himself choked unconscious in one round.

  • VIDEO: Watch Mauricio Ruffy Drop James Llontop With No-Look Uppercut En Route To UFC 309 Decision

    VIDEO: Watch Mauricio Ruffy Drop James Llontop With No-Look Uppercut En Route To UFC 309 Decision

    Mauricio Ruffy earned his second consecutive win inside the Octagon in the main card opener of UFC 309, defeating James Llontop via unanimous decision.

    The highly touted Brazilian still produced some highlight-reel moments but wasn’t able to secure another show-stealing finish as a huge favorite against his late-notice replacement opponent.

    Llontop missed weight ahead of the fight despite both men agreeing to a catchweight, but it didn’t have the impact that many assumed it would. In the end, it was the Peruvian who got better as the fight went on, winning the third round with his constant pressure as Ruffy appeared to significantly slow down.

    However, it was the toughness of Llontop that earned him the most plaudits after he ate some huge shots, including a devastating look-away uppercut that dropped him in the second round.

    Ruffy never looked like losing the fight after landing significant damage in the first two frames en route scorecards of 29-28 across the board, but it was certainly a tougher outing than many expected following his incredible debut win over Jamie Mullarkey at UFC 301 this past May.

    The Fighting Nerds standout called out BenoƮt Saint Denis as both Ruffy and his teammates continue to have massive campaigns in 2024.

    Check out the moment that nearly closed the show in the second round below:

  • Mauricio Ruffy Gets New Opponent For UFC 309: Jones vs. Miocic Prelim

    Mauricio Ruffy Gets New Opponent For UFC 309: Jones vs. Miocic Prelim

    Highly touted lightweight prospect Mauricio Ruffy has a new foe to prepare for weeks out from the UFC 309 pay-per-view in New York City.

    After earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series last year, Ruffy announced himself as one of the most promising up-and-comers at 155 pounds when he debuted in style this past May.

    At UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, “One Shot” unloaded his arsenal on Jamie Mullarkey before utilizing a flying knee to set up a first-round knockout. The result left the Fighting Nerds standout riding a streak of five consecutive finishes with strikes.

    Ruffy will look to keep his ball rolling at next month’s UFC 309 event, but not at the expense of the man he was originally lined up to face.

    The Brazilian was added to the card in a matchup against Charlie Campbell, who has won both of his UFC fights to date. The American, however, was forced to withdraw, marking the latest issue in booking Ruffy’s return. He’d previously had plans for outings at UFC 303 and UFC 307 fall through.

    Thankfully, the promotion has been able to secure a replacement opponent for the 28-year-old.

    Mauricio Ruffy
    UFC 309’s Mauricio Ruffy (Image: Alexandre Loureiro/UFC/Zuffa LLC)

    Following the collapse of the Campbell matchup, Ruffy is now set to share the cage with James Llontop at UFC 309. The short-notice lightweight bout was first reported by Te La CantĆ© MMA and later confirmed by Eurosport Nederland’s Marcel Dorff.

    Peru’s Llontop has lost both of his UFC fights since a victory on DWCS in 2023, most recently falling on the wrong side of a split decision verdict opposite Viacheslav Borshchev in August.

    With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at UFC 309 on Nov. 16 are as follows:

    Main Card:

    • Heavyweight Championship Main Event: Jon Jones (C) vs. Stipe Miocic
    • Lightweight Co-Main Event: Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler
    • Womenā€™s Flyweight: Viviane AraĆŗjo vs. Karine Silva
    • Middleweight: Bo Nickal vs. Paul Craig
    • Middleweight: Eryk Anders vs. Chris Weidman

    Preliminary Card:

    • Lightweight: Mauricio Ruffy vs. James llontop
    • Light Heavyweight: Nikita Krylov vs. Azamat Murzakanov
    • Bantamweight: Jonathan Martinez vs. Marcus McGhee
    • Lightweight: Jim Miller vs. Damon Jackson

    Early Preliminary Card: 

    • Welterweight: Mickey Gall vs. Ramiz Brahimaj
    • Welterweight: Bassil Hafez vs. Oban Elliott
    • Womenā€™s Flyweight: Veronica Hardy vs. Eduarda Moura