Has he become Australian? Mauricio Ruffy declares his love for the country and promises to knock out Fiziev at UFC 325.

Ruffy promotes UFC event. Photo: Reproduction/X/UFC

Under pressure, Maurício Ruffy is not messing around at UFC 325. At the event taking place this Saturday (31), in Australia, the Brazilian will face Rafael Fiziev in an important fight in the lightweight division (up to 70,3 kg), and is determined to recover from his first defeat in the octagon. So much so that, at the press conference to promote the show, the athlete already showed that he will use all the weapons available to come out on top.

At the ceremony held this Thursday (29), Ruffy appeared briefly, but he was assertive. The Brazilian, who spent a long period training with Alexander Volkanovski in Australia, made sure to use that experience and the partnership to win over the local audience.

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And the tactic worked for 'Nerd' who, by declaring his love for the country, made the fans cheer. Happy with the positive reaction, the Brazilian returned the support and promised to put on a show in the octagon against the Kazakh.

“Volkanovski is the champion, end of story. I spent two months training with Volkanovski. I feel Australian, and Australia is definitely my new home. 'Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!' Fiziev has fought many times, he's an experienced fighter, but I'm ready to show my work,” said the top-15 lightweight.

"You know that when I step into the octagon, I go in to knock you out. I have 14 fights, 12 knockouts, and I'm going for another one," he concluded.

Fiziev's response

Like Luffy, Fiziev is also a striking specialist and disapproved of Luffy's statement. Immediately, the Kazakh fighter showed no enthusiasm for his opponent's skill and questioned the effectiveness of such flashy strikes.

"Brother, please, just don't do 50 spinning kicks in a row," the veteran teased.

Ruffy in the UFC

Mauricio Ruffy, 29, is a promising MMA fighter and competes in the UFC's lightweight division. Discovered on the reality show 'Contender Series' in 2023, the Brazilian debuted in the sport's largest organization a year later, winning three fights, two by knockout, and losing one. Currently, he is ranked 14th in the division. His main victory was against Bobby Green.