Rising UFC 313 star Mauricio Ruffy explains how soccer, Neymar provide ongoing inspiration

LAS VEGAS – Fighting and soccer don’t overtly appear to go hand in hand, but to the Fighting Nerds’ Mauricio Ruffy, there is a correlation.

Ruffy (11-1 MMA, 2- UFC) is one of the promotion’s hottest rising lightweights. After just two fights, he creates buzz with each tweet and social media post. His swagger and flare are drawn from the stars of soccer.

“I take a lot from soccer,” Ruffy told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a news conference Wednesday. “I take a lot of inspiration, like the moves, the way that they have to do so stuff. Neymar has been a source of inspiration for me. I even have a particular move that I say, ‘That’s my Neymar move.’ I’ve done it in the UFC, too. I think the way that they move and the way they have to dodge things, the way that they have to make fast decisions, I think it inspires me. I see a lot in soccer and it brings back.”

At UFC 313 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena, Ruffy returns for his most high-profile fight to date as he takes on longtime divisional staple King Green on the pay-per-view main card. It’s a fight Ruffy explained he’s wanted for a long time.

“This is a fight I’ve actually called out before,” Ruffy said. “I’ve told people, I told the team, I wanted him for the second fight. Hey it didn’t come in the second. It’s coming in the third. Let’s get this job done. I’ve very ready for it and I’m very happy for the opportunity. … As soon as I got into the UFC, I started looking at the fights that would give me a title shot and I thought that’s a guy who has the experience. I figure a win against him could propel me up into new heights. I think it’s a fight that opens doors. Fighting him and beating him is a fight that gets me to another level.”

The Fighting Nerds are red-hot right now, with Caio Borralho, Carlos Prates, and Jean Silva all making beelines toward future title challenger status. Ruffy said the vibe in the training room is infectious – something he hopes to catalyze even further with a win over an established name like Green (32-16-1 MMA, 13-11-1 UFC).

“We are all very grateful and very happy with the results,” Ruffy said. “We celebrate the wins. Everybody is together. I think all of us appreciate what the work of the team has yielded. We go back and see what (coach) Pablo (Sucupira) has done with the team, putting this together. This is the fruit of his work. We are very happy to be together. We’re happy to be part of the team. We’re happy to continue to go back and get more. As you can see, the results are happening. We’re happy with all the results for the work we’re putting in.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.