{"id":831964,"date":"2025-03-06T10:12:11","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T16:12:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/06\/rising-ufc-313-star-mauricio-ruffy-explains-how-soccer-neymar-provide-ongoing-inspiration\/"},"modified":"2025-03-06T10:12:11","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T16:12:11","slug":"rising-ufc-313-star-mauricio-ruffy-explains-how-soccer-neymar-provide-ongoing-inspiration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/06\/rising-ufc-313-star-mauricio-ruffy-explains-how-soccer-neymar-provide-ongoing-inspiration\/","title":{"rendered":"Rising UFC 313 star Mauricio Ruffy explains how soccer, Neymar provide ongoing inspiration"},"content":{"rendered":"

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LAS VEGAS \u2013 Fighting and soccer don\u2019t overtly appear to go hand in hand, but to the Fighting Nerds\u2019 Mauricio Ruffy<\/a>, there is a correlation.<\/p>\n

Ruffy (11-1 MMA, 2- UFC) is one of the promotion\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI take a lot from soccer,\u201d Ruffy told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a news conference Wednesday. \u201cI 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, \u2018That\u2019s my Neymar move.\u2019 I\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

At UFC 313<\/a> 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\u2019s a fight Ruffy explained he\u2019s wanted for a long time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a fight I\u2019ve actually called out before,\u201d Ruffy said. \u201cI\u2019ve told people, I told the team, I wanted him for the second fight. Hey it didn\u2019t come in the second. It\u2019s coming in the third. Let\u2019s get this job done. I\u2019ve very ready for it and I\u2019m very happy for the opportunity. \u2026 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\u2019s a guy who has the experience. I figure a win against him could propel me up into new heights. I think it\u2019s a fight that opens doors. Fighting him and beating him is a fight that gets me to another level.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Fighting Nerds are red-hot right now<\/a>, 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 \u2013 something he hopes to catalyze even further with a win over an established name like Green (32-16-1 MMA, 13-11-1 UFC).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are all very grateful and very happy with the results,\u201d Ruffy said. \u201cWe 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\u2019re happy to be part of the team. We\u2019re happy to continue to go back and get more. As you can see, the results are happening. We\u2019re happy with all the results for the work we\u2019re putting in.\u201d<\/p>\n

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