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.”
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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.”
