Hours of training and grinding at the Tiger Muay Thai gym didn’t pay off for Rafael Fiziev when he faced knockout specialist Mauricio Ruffy on the UFC 325 main card last night. Although the bout wasn’t for a title like the headliner Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes 2.0, it carried high stakes because Ruffy had a chance to break into the top 10 rankings while Fiziev aimed to maintain his spot. Ultimately, Ruffy emerged victorious.

At the start, inside the packed Qudos Bank Arena, Rafael Fiziev applied early pressure on Mauricio Ruffy and seemed to have the upper hand. However, the tide turned in the second round when ‘One Shot’ capitalized on ‘Ataman’s overconfidence. Sensing an opening, Ruffy unleashed a relentless, full-throttle assault, dropping Fiziev with a brutal flurry of punches. After the fight, Fiziev recently shared a picture showing the damage to his face.

Rafael Fiziev shows fight scars from his UFC 325 bout against Mauricio Ruffy

Rafael Fiziev entered the octagon with high expectations and fired a bold warning at his opponent Mauricio Ruffy during the face-off: “I’m gonna hit you with my hands, with my elbows, with my knees, and hit my kick. I’m gonna kill that.” However, once the fight started, Ruffy dominated the Azerbaijani star with relentless pressure.

Recently, Fiziev shared a photo of his bloodied face on social media and wrote, “I’ve got nothing to say. Got my head smashed in.”

With this victory, Mauricio Ruffy extended his career knockout total to 12, boosting his knockout rate to 92 percent. Moreover, he carried the pressure of previous setbacks, including a loss last year to Special Forces Army veteran Benoit Saint Denis.

To overcome this adversity, Ruffy temporarily stepped away from his Fighting Nerds team to train with featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski, which left Rafael Fiziev unable to anticipate his strategy. As a result, following this defeat, Fiziev drops to 1-4 in his last five UFC outings, marking a turbulent three-year stretch.

Meanwhile, rumors suggest he could face rising lightweight talents like Quillin Salkilld or Paddy Pimblett, though Dana White & Co. have yet to confirm anything. At the same time, Mauricio Ruffy has made his intentions clear, stating he wants to fight Paddy Pimblett or UFC megastar Conor McGregor.

Ruffy hints at choosing between Conor McGregor and Paddy Pimblett for his next fight

After impressing at UFC 325, Mauricio Ruffy is now seizing every opportunity in front of him. On top of that, UFC featherweight legend Alexander Volkanovski supports him, and with his recent performance, Ruffy could easily break into the top 10 once the UFC releases its next rankings update.

Already known for his knockout power and highlight-reel finishes, ‘One Shot’ made headlines with his win over The King Green at UFC 313 in March. Now, at 29, he’s aiming for a high-profile matchup that could earn him the Red Panty Night against Conor McGregor, who’s planning a return to the UFC Octagon this summer. Naturally, Ruffy is determined to get a piece of that action.

“Hunter (Campbell), Dana White, you see me fight and know my style,” Mauricio Ruffy said through an interpreter in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. “How about Conor McGregor or Paddy Pimblett? Let me put on a show.”

Now that Mauricio Ruffy is climbing the ranks, who do you see him matching up with next in the division? Could Conor McGregor take the win on points, or would Paddy Pimblett make for a more hype fight? Drop your thoughts below.