Mauricio Ruffy is hinting that the UFC has big plans in store
for him. | Getty/UFC
A month after his important victory over Rafael
Fiziev, Mauricio
Ruffy provided some insight into his
UFC future.
Ruffy revealed that his next fight, while still under negotiation,
should guarantee his spot as the next challenger for the belt.
“If it’s not at the White House, it will be five rounds,” Ruffy
told Sherdog.com.
Ruffy added that he has already returned to physical training
following his win over Fiziev at
UFC 325 on Jan. 31.
“I had surgery on my right hand after the fight, but it’s already
fine,” he said. “I’ll go back to [punching] next week, but in the
meantime, I’m keeping in shape and preparing the rest of my body.
[Alexander] Volkanovski told me a lot not to stop training, and
we’ll see each other again soon,” said the Brazilian, who made a
point of praising all the treatment he received in Australia.
“It was really cool how Volkanovski welcomed me — he literally took
me under his wing. When his training was over, he would come and
take care of mine, adjust positions and there were some days when I
was there and he didn’t train. On those days, he went to the
academy just to take care of my training. Imagine that. A UFC
champion, at a time when he could be resting, left home to help me
and stayed two hours at the gym with me. That was a great lesson
for me, as I am nobody compared to him. This guy is No. 4
pound-for-pound in the world. I will never forget what Volkanovski
did, and I hope to return soon.”
I Will Always Be a Fighting Nerd
Although still uncomfortable with all the controversy surrounding
Jean
Silva, who publicly stated that he is no longer friends with
Ruffy after his move to Australia), the lightweight contender did
not shy away from commenting on the matter. Ruffy pointed out that
Caio
Borralho himself was the first to encourage him to expand his
training horizons.
“He always told me that if I dedicated myself I would certainly
become champion of the category, and he gave me a lot of
encouragement to do what he did with Chimaev. And I followed Caio’s
advice, who is a leader for everyone,” Ruffy said.
However, when asked if he will hold his next training camp at The
Fighting Nerds, Ruffy dodged the question.
“Every day I wake up to a new message saying I’m leaving Fighting
Nerds. I prefer not to create controversy, to stay quiet here and
remain focused on my next mission. I will always be a Fighting
Nerd,” Ruffy said. “I don’t know where I’ll be tomorrow, but
without a doubt Fighting Nerds have added a lot to my life and
continues to do so. I was with Pablo before he traveled to Vegas
[for UFC 326] and he knows that. After my last fight I stopped
worrying about what the minority says on the internet.”
After having two fights in 2024 and 2025, Mauricio said he intends
to have three in 2026. That means he hopes to step in the Octagon
twice more before the end of the year.
“I fought in January. I’m thinking of coming back in June or July
and then another one in October,” he said. “The UFC has a plan for
me that I really like. I know that by signing my fight I’ll be able
to travel and spend some time abroad. I’m very excited.”
McGregor at the White House?
Asked if there was a plan for the White House card, Ruffy didn’t
deny it.
“Let’s see what happens, but the expectation is always good,” said
the Brazilian in a mysterious tone.
Regarding the possibility of Ruffy being McGregor’s mysterious
opponent, the Fighting Nerd responded with even more mystery.
“Who wouldn’t want to see Ruffy vs. Conor? It would be a guaranteed
knockout. But just like there were situations with Prates, there
were situations with me too that I can’t bring up publicly,” Ruffy
said. “But so far I haven’t signed anything, let’s see what
happens.”
The mysterious tone only disappears when Ruffy explains how he
believes he reached title contenditon with just one victory while
being No. 9 in the UFC rankings.
“I need a fight that leads me to the title, that’s been discussed
and it makes me very happy. I don’t know who it will be. I want the
best,” Ruffy said. “[Paddy] Pimblett fought for the title, I’d
really like to fight him, but I also see that the winner of Charles
[Oliveira] and [Max] Holloway could be one, too. The important
thing isn’t the ranking but good performances. I was 14th and
fought the ninth. Who deserves [the shot] more than Tsarukyan, but
they wont give it to him now. It’s difficult to explain, otherwise
I’ll get into a subject I can’t talk about, but it’s more or less
that. I need to fight someone who will lead me to fight for the
title. Let’s see if it will be at the White House or in a
five-round fight.”
Holloway vs. Oliveira
Regarding the main event next Saturday at
UFC 326, which, according to him, could define his future
opponent, Ruffy doesn’t consider it a good matchup for his
compatriot.
“I really want Charles to win, but I think it’s a difficult fight
for Charles,” Ruffy said. “Chute Boxe does a very good striking and
striking game, but Holloway complicates this game because he
controls the fight well both in terms of movement and volume. I
think it’s a difficult fight on the feet for Charles, and in
grappling Holloway is very experienced. We’ve rarely seen him taken
down. But on the other hand, Charles has greater knockout power.
It’s definitely going to be a great fight.”