The PPV main card at UFC 313 opened with a guaranteed knockout of the year contender.
March 8 has already produced some memorable highlights inside the Octagon after Ozzy Diaz and Djorden Santos opened the card with a great middleweight contest.
Finishes from Carlos Leal and Bruno Ferreira were impressive displays, along with a strong showing from Joshua Van, but the fans inside the T-Mobile Arena hadn’t seen anything yet.
With 2 fights falling off the card before the action got underway, along with some delays, UFC 313 has proven to be quality over quantity.
The Fighting Nerds team have been on an incredible run for some time but on Saturday night in Las Vegas, one of their fighters may have produced their best KO to date.
Mauricio Ruffy faceplants King Green with a stunning spinning wheel kick
Joe Rogan referred to Brazil’s Mauricio Ruffy as a “big Conor McGregor” for good reason as he made the walk to the Octagon.
The lightweight contender had gone 2-0 since signing to the UFC in 2023 with the momentum from his statement debut against Jamie Mullarkey being slowed ever so slightly in his latest outing where he went to a decision against James Llontop.
Ruffy’s potential at 155-pounds would be put to the test against the always entertaining King Green who looked to bounce back from a loss against Paddy Pimblett last July.
The Brazilian had some success early on as he started to strategically pick his shots before unleashing one of the best spinning wheel kicks in UFC history.
‘One shot’ lived up to his nickname after landing clean with his right foot on the side of Green’s head to win the fight in the blink of an eye and clinch a performance of the night bonus.
Ruffy’s striking has always been exciting but to take out a 50-fight veteran in devastating fashion shows that just like his teammates at The Fighting Nerds, he is set for big things in the near future.
Mauricio Ruffy calls to fight Beneil Dariush
In his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Mauricio Ruffy named the opponent that he wants to fight next time out.
With a spot in the top 15 rankings in his sights, the 28-year-old wants to face the #9-ranked Beneil Dariush who is currently coming off of back-to-back losses.
Dariush was set to return against Renato Moicano at UFC 311 in January but he was left without an opponent once Moicano stepped into the main event on short notice.
Though it might not be Dariush next, it is clear that an opponent with a number next to their name needs to be next for Ruffy in order to keep his momentum pushing forward.