Mauricio
Ruffy
put lightweight champ
Islam
Makhachev on notice after a flawless debut at
UFC
301.
Ruffy picked apart Australian veteran
Jamie
Mullarkey on the feet to score a first-round TKO win in front
of his home fans at the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday
night. “One Shot” issued a warning to Makhachev in his post-fight
interview, reminding the champ of his
Dana White's Contender Series win over
Raimond
Magomedaliev.
"I have a message for Islam Makhachev, a nice message,” Ruffy said.
“Hey, enjoy your days at the top. I know you are upset because I
beat your friend, but enjoy your days because a new king is
coming."
In addition to a stance that was somewhat similar to
Conor
McGregor’s, Ruffy’s striking and focus also drew comparisons
with “Notorious” from UFC analyst
Din Thomas
during the broadcast. Ruffy is welcoming comparisons to the biggest
star in the history of the sport.
“I don’t mind being compared to Conor McGregor,” he said during a
post-fight media scrum. “The guy had a great
history in the UFC. I try to mirror myself in him. He’s the guy
who’s taught everyone how to make money in fights. So yeah, thanks
everyone who’s saying that.”
Meanwhile Makhachev looks to make his third lightweight title
defense against
Dustin
Poirier in the main event of
UFC 302
on June 1 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.