Mauricio Ruffy explains who he is

PLAISTOW, N.H. – Mauricio Ruffy enjoyed the action as punches flew back and forth. But this time, he wasn’t in the fight. He was a spectator as Jeffrey Viel and Dylan McIllrath dropped the gloves.

Ruffy didn’t quite understand the rules, though longtime friend Yann Oliveira and fellow UFC fighter Connor Matthews were able to help fill in the knowledge gaps.

Over 4,000 miles away from the Brazilian town of Coruripe, Alagoas, where he grew up, Ruffy (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) attended his first hockey game as the Boston Bruins battled the Washington Capitals. Ruffy was personally invited to the game by Bruins forward Jakub Lauko, a massive UFC fan from the Czech Republic, who saw on social media that Ruffy was in town.

Being recognized and respected on an international level was not unique to the situation. It has quickly become Ruffy’s way of life over the past 11 months since he made his UFC debut.

“To you guys, Mauricio Ruffy is new, but this has been going on for a long time” Ruffy recently told MMA Junkie through interpreter and fellow fighter Olivieira. “This construction has been going on for a long time, building who Mauricio Ruffy is.”

Ruffy is reaching new heights by the week. He plans to open his own branch of the Fighting Nerds with Oliveira in New Hampshire in the coming weeks – something that would’ve been impossible just months ago.

Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Mauricio Ruffy (red gloves) fights James Llontop (blue gloves) in the catchweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Who is Mauricio Ruffy?

While the true tale of Ruffy is 28 years long and counting, fight fans are still acquainting themselves to a near-contender who has only had three UFC fights.

Just last fight, Ruffy told the world that his last name isn’t even Ruffy. It’s Mauricio de Lima Santos.

The name Ruffy is based off anime character Monkey D. Luffy.

“I’m fairly new here,” Ruffy said. “But like I told you guys before, there’s still a lot to come. There’s a lot that’s going to happen. You guys still have a lot to see. You haven’t seen anything yet.”

Ruffy is a key member of the skyrocketing Fighting Nerds team, headed by coaches Pablo Sucupira and Vlavio Alvaro, and also featuring Caio Borralho, Jean Silva, and Carlos Prates among others.

Ruffy remembers the first time he threw on a Fighting Nerds shirt – right before he was immediately told it’s not that easy.

“I walked in and I saw Caio Borralho training with Pablo,” Ruffy said. “They were sparring. I loved everything I saw and was watching. I looked at Pablo and said, ‘Hey, I’m putting the shirt on. From now on, I am a Fighting Nerd. I’m part of the team. Pablo just kind of stopped him in his tracks and said, ‘Hold on. Hold on a second. We don’t want any rotten fruits in our orchard here. Now we’re going to take this nice and slow. We’re going to see if you can hang. You’ve got to show up and not miss a single practice for 30 days. If you miss a single practice in 30 days, you’re out of here. You’re not training with us.’

“I loved the challenge. I loved what I was seeing. I proved myself like I said I would. The rest is history. I did my part and I became part of the Fighting Nerds. Pablo said to me, ‘I’m a big fan of yours. I admire you. But for you to be part, you’ve got to fall into place. You’ve got to be part of this engine and make it so the thing works smooth. But if you can make this happen, you’re part of the team.’”

Unlike his Fighting Nerd counterparts, Ruffy’s personality is much more contained. He’s not chain-smoking cigarettes or barking like a dog. His quiet and polite demeanor isn’t his main selling point, no. He’s quiet and polite, not radiating an inkling of attention self-seeking.

He’s generated tremendous buzz and nearly 400,000 Instagram followers almost solely on his fighting style and highlights alone – many of which are knockouts, making good on the “One Shot” name.

“What you guys saw there, it wasn’t even close to everything I’ve got,” Ruffy said. “I’ve got 30 other tricks in my pocket that I can’t wait to show you guys. I said from the beginning before I came into the UFC that I’d bring something new, that I’d bring something different to the UFC, something you guys haven’t seen before. I’ve got a lot more to show you guys.”

His beatdown of Jamie Mullarkey was quite the first impression. His pummeling of a zombie-like James Llontop was something else. His scintillating spinning wheel kick knockout of King Green at UFC 313 in March is a candidate for Knockout of the Year.

The nature of those knockouts combined with his capoeira-karate style, chest tattoos, beard, and quick explosion into the UFC spotlight – Ruffy has drawn comparisons to a certain Irish combat sports legend.

While the narrative largely exists online, Ruffy said there’s actually some credibility to it – and a relationship with Conor McGregor might become tangible.

“In the construction of Mauricio Ruffy, there was always a little bit of Conor McGregor there,” Ruffy said. “I can see that. I’m a big Conor McGregor fan. I love McGregor’s style. There is a little bit of McGregor there.

“One thing that I want is that when I’m ready to fight Islam Makhachev, when I go to fight him, I want to invite Conor McGregor to be in my corner, so it’s us against the Russians. I want Conor McGregor there. I want Conor McGregor there and to be up close and taste the victory for when I beat the Russians. Khabib is going to be there of course, so I want Conor McGregor to be there as part of my corner as well for when I defeat the Russians and put an end to Islam Makhachev.”

International Fight Week bound?

Immediately after the March victory, Ruffy called out perennial contender Beneil Dariush. According to Ruffy, the UFC is interested and it’s up to Dariush (22-6-1 MMA, 16-6-1 UFC) to accept.

“If Dariush accepts the fight, I’ll be ready to go for International Fight Week,” Ruffy said. “… The UFC did show some interest. The UFC seems to like that matchup a lot. I think all it comes down to now is Dariush accepting the fight. If he accepts the fight, I think that’s something the UFC will look forward to making happen. We’ll see. He’s waiting to hear if it’s going to happen. On the UFC part, they like the fight. We’re just waiting for Dariush. I believe that showing good performance and showing what I’m doing and keep doing what I’m doing shows a lot more than just what the rankings say. When you perform like that, the ranking doesn’t matter. On my part, I’m ready to go, waiting for Dariush to accept. Let’s go, Dariush.”

With the caliber of opponent that Dariush is, the question would be raised of: Three or five rounds? While it would only be his fourth UFC appearance, Ruffy feels more than ready.

On paper, many might see it as striker vs. grappler; Ruffy has 11 of 12 wins by knockout and Dariush has eight submissions with nine decisions in 22 victories.

Ruffy loves that’s the widespread interpretation, finding comfort in perceived secret weapons has he yet to show inside the cage. Perhaps the nickname “One Shot” isn’t just talking about a strike.

“The fans have not had the opportunity to watch me grapple yet and show my abilities to the fans, body against body, and trying to take him down,” Ruffy said. “What I can do when somebody tries to get on my leg and try to take me down, I’m working on a lot of things. I’m working on ways to show people and surprise people that it’s not easy to take me down. I’m working on things. I can grapple. I’ve got a lot of tricks up my sleeves. I know what I need to do. But I believe that in the grappling department, I’ll be able to surprise everybody.”