First Mauricio Ruffy sent a stern message with his performance in his UFC debut and then with his words after his victory.
Ruffy (10-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) brought the violence at UFC 301 by defeating Jamie Mullarkey via first-round TKO on Saturday at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Ruffy, who made his debut with the promotion after signing with the UFC last year on Dana White’s Contender Series, ended the fight with a flying knee and an arsenal of strikes at 4:42.
Even though it was just a UFC fight for the 30-year-old Brazilian, that didn’t stop Ruffy from warning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev during a post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier.
“I have a message for Islam Makhachev, a nice message: hey, enjoy your days at the top,” Ruffy said. “I know you’re upset because I beat your friend, but enjoy your days because a new king is coming.”
Ruffy’s DWCS victory came against Makhachev’s training partner Raimond Magomedaliev via third-round TKO last October.
Including this fight and his UFC debut, Luffy is on a five-fight win streak. Ruffy undoubtedly faces a long road before he’s even considered for a fight with Makhachev, but at least he’s on the right path.
For more information on the card, visit the MMA Junkie events hub to UFC 301.
