Maurício Ruffy


Maurício de Lima Santos, known as Maurício Ruffy, is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of November 18, 2025, he is #14 in the UFC lightweight rankings.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Ruffy acquired a record of 8–1 with eight knockouts competing exclusively on the Brazilian regional scene. This included a second-round knockout over UFC veteran Ronys Torres.

Dana White's Contender Series

Ruffy was then booked to compete on Week 9 of Season 7 of Dana White's Contender Series on October 3, 2023, against highly touted prospect Raimond Magomedaliev. He would win the fight via third-round technical knockout and was awarded a contract by Dana White.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

After earning his contract, Ruffy made his UFC debut at UFC 301 against Jamie Mullarkey on May 4, 2024. He would win the fight via technical knockout in the first round. This fight earned him a Performance of the Night award.
In his next fight, Ruffy was scheduled to face Charlie Campbell at UFC 309 on November 16, 2024. However, Campbell withdrew from the bout for undisclosed reasons and was subsequently replaced by James Llontop in a catchweight bout of 165 pounds. Llontop weighed in 1.2 lbs over the 165 lb catchweight limit and was fined 20 percent of his purse, which went to Ruffy. Ruffy would win the fight via unanimous decision, marking the first time he would go to the scorecards in his career.
Ruffy would then face King Green at UFC 313 on March 8, 2025. He would win the fight via first-round knockout with a spinning wheel kick. This fight earned him another Performance of the Night award.
Ruffy faced Benoît Saint Denis on September 6, 2025 at UFC Fight Night 258. He lost the fight via a face crank submission in the second round.
Ruffy faced Rafael Fiziev on February 1, 2026 at UFC 325. He won the fight by technical knockout in the second round. This fight earned him a $100,000 Performance of the Night award.

Personal life

Inspired by One Piece, the moniker of Ruffy was given to Maurício by his brother before his first professional fight.
In 2025, Ruffy announced plans to expand his team, Fighting Nerds, by opening a new training facility in New Hampshire, to provide better facilities for his teammates and other athletes.

Championships and accomplishments