Mauricio Ruffy delivered a performance fight fans will remember for quite some time.
Ruffy stunted on Michael Chandler and earned a first-round knockout victory in a featured lightweight matchup at UFC Freedom 250.
Known for his flashy and devastating power, Ruffy gave Chandler a difficult time at striking range and landed the knockout combination late in the opening round.
Following that win, Ruffy got another one as he proposed to his girlfriend, who was sitting cageside.
She gave the thumbs up and said yes after Ruffy improved to 5-1 in his six UFC appearances.
-
Get the skills to pay the bills
Skilled Trades College is where hands-on training meets real-world opportunity, helping students build in-demand skills and take the next step toward lasting careers in the trades.
Ruffy, who will also celebrate his 30th birthday in a few days, rode the momentum of his February KO win over Rafael Fiziev to earn a spot on the one-of-a-kind card.
His dynamic style also led to his 2025 spinning wheel kick KO of Bobby “King” Green, which was a frontrunner for knockout of the year. Ruffy used that same move to rock Chandler before eventually putting him away with punches along the fence.
The Brazilian’s lone setback in the UFC to date was nine months ago in Paris when he lost a road matchup to France’s Benoit Saint Denis. Ruffy recently switched camps and on Sunday had featherweight titleholder Alexander Volkanovski among his cornermen.
Ruffy was the No. 9-ranked contender in the 155-pound weight class entering the weekend, and Chandler was sitting at No. 13.
Chandler was the biggest betting underdog on Sunday’s seven-fight card on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., and it showed.
The former three-time Bellator MMA lightweight champion has been the underdog in all but one of his UFC appearances and had never faced odds this steep. Chandler only managed to land three significant strikes on Ruffy in 4:29 of action.
The patriotic American turned 40 in April, and Sunday marked his 34th MMA fight since turning professional in 2009. Chandler holds notable victories over former UFC lightweight champions Eddie Alvarez and Benson Henderson, and five of his first six UFC appearances were against fighters who at one point held a UFC title.
Chandler has gone just 1-6 since 2021 and hadn’t fought since a loss to Paddy Pimblett last spring.
There was also a time in recent history when Chandler wasted nearly two years waiting for Conor McGregor to return from a lengthy layoff, and he was set to welcome the Irish superstar back to the cage two summers ago.
Chandler and McGregor were scheduled to meet at UFC 303 in 2024, but the fight failed to come to fruition after a McGregor broken toe postponed the matchup and it was never rescheduled.
While Chandler jumped at the opportunity to compete at the White House regardless of the opponent, it’s somewhat ironic that McGregor is finally set to make his long-awaited return to competition next month at UFC 329 against Max Holloway.
Chandler spent many months preparing for McGregor’s striking style, which, in theory, should’ve benefitted him against Ruffy, who uses some similar techniques and stances that McGregor used to employ.
Unfortunately for Chandler, it did not, and he is now on the first four-fight losing streak of his career.