MMA fans think Mauricio Ruffy may be the next UFC superstar.
On Saturday night, the lightweight fighter made his promotional debut against Australian veteran Jamie Mullarkey at UFC 301 in Rio De Janeiro.
Ruffy put on a show in his UFC debutCredit: Getty
Ruffy put on a striking clinic and finished his opponent with a flurry of strikes at the end of round one, but it was something he did moments before that caught the attention of UFC fans worldwide.
The 30-year-old jumped two-footed at Mullarkey’s feet to pull off the rarely-seen scissor sweep takedown – and it almost worked perfectly.
Ruffy got his rival down but ended up in the bottom position before getting into a wrestling exchange and working his way back to the feet where he finished the fight seconds later.
UFC commentator Din Thomas boldly branded Ruffy a ‘young Conor McGregor’ before fans flooded social media with comments about a new star being born.
One person tweeted: “Shockingly impressive performance. This guy is special.”
Another said: “Unreal performance from Ruffy.”
A third person commented: Mauricio Ruffy is a star in the making
Someone else wrote: Dude… A star is born. Mauricio Ruffy.”
He closed the show with 18 seconds left of round oneCredit: Getty
Ruffy was quickly compared to UFC superstar Conor McGregorCredit: Zuffa LLC via Getty
UFC CEO Dana White raved: “This guy is an absolute BEAST! One of the best UFC debuts of all time by Mauricio Ruffy! #Nowyouknow.”
Ruffy’s post-fight speech made even more people compare him to McGregor.
The 9-1 fighter immediately sent a message to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev during his post-fight interview with former dual-weight UFC champion Daniel Cormier.
“Enjoy your days at the top,” Ruffy said via a translator.
“I know you’re upset cause I beat your friend, but enjoy your days, because a new king is coming.”
Ruffy welcomed comparisons to McGregor and admitted he tries to emulate the Irishman, who is undoubtedly the biggest star in UFC history, during his post-fight press conference.
YOU DON’T SEE A SCISSOR SWEEP EVERYDAY ✂️#UFC301 pic.twitter.com/R6qVDIhUy2
— UFC (@ufc) May 4, 2024
“The guy had a great history in the UFC,” he said. “I try to mirror myself in him.
“He’s a guy who taught everyone how to make money in fights.”
Ruffy is likely to walk away from UFC 301 with a $50,000 bonus.
After he’s spent a little time enjoying his win and newfound fame, the Brazilian will begin training for what will be an eagerly anticipated second fight in the Octagon.
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