LAS VEGAS – After arguably one of the vicious knockouts in UFC history, Mauricio Ruffy knows exactly what he wants next.
Ruffy (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) landed a spinning heel kick on King Green (32-17-1 MMA, 13-12-1 UFC) slightly greater than two minutes into their essential card opener Saturday at UFC 313. Green, who has turned out many lights himself, was out cold, face first on the canvas.
Ruffy, a member of Brazil’s fast-rising Fighting Nerds team, won a $50,000 performance bonus for the finish, which is bound to be a Knockout of the 12 months contender come December.
“I’m very completely satisfied with the win and really completely satisfied with the chance,” Ruffy said at his post-fight news conference at T-Mobile Arena. “I believe I did justice to the vote of confidence the UFC has given me. Wherever (that kick) got here from, there’s loads more to come back. … We work very hard on the gym for things to occur. Actually, back within the locker room, we were working on that kick, as well.”
Ruffy, a light-weight who will turn 29 in June, has 11 of his 12 wins by knockout. The lone time he’s needed to go to a call to get his hand raised got here in his second UFC fight this past November. Against James Llontop at UFC 309 in Latest York, he put in quarter-hour.
But clearly, it’s the bonus-winning finishes he prefers, like his win over Green and his knockout of Jamie Mullarkey in his UFC debut.
“Listen, there are lots of secrets about Ruffy style that you simply don’t know yet,” he said. “You’ve gotten no idea, and I can’t wait to place them against a grappler, a wrestler. There are a lot of more things that Ruffy can offer that you’ve got not seen, but you’re going to see it within the UFC.”
In relation to whom he’d next wish to showcase his skills against, that grappler and wrestler he has in mind is none apart from Beneil Dariush, a 35-year-old lightweight standout who has been within the promotion for nearly a dozen years.
After an eight-fight winning streak had him in title contention, Dariush was knocked out by former champ Charles Oliveira in June 2023. He lost a second straight for the primary time in his profession when ARman Tsarukyan knocked him out in December 2023 in a essential event in Austin, Texas.
Dariush was set to return in January against Renato Moicano at UFC 311, but when Tsarukyan suffered a fight week injury, Moicano was tapped to fight Islam Makhachev for the title. Dariush was left along with his cheese within the wind and with no fight.
Two months later, he hasn’t been officially rebooked, and Ruffy is down.
“My goal within the UFC is to be a champion and to get the title shot as soon as possible. Myself, together with the team, decided that may be a name that puts us closer to a title shot. In order that’s what we wish.”
To listen to more from Ruffy, try the video of the complete post-fight interview above.
For more on the cardboard, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.
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