Mauricio Ruffy Denies Rumours of Quick Turnaround After UFC 331 KO Loss
Mauricio Ruffy has shut down the rumours of potential fights with Quillan Salkilld and Salahdine Parnasse.
A training video he posted earlier led fans to speculate about his next opponent. In a follow-up video, the Brazilian denied both matchups and instead revealed that Paddy Pimblett is the fighter he has been hinting at.
Mauricio Ruffy Shuts Down Salkilld and Parnasse Fight Rumours
The speculation began after Ruffy posted a training video of him working on his footwork and striking. The clip led to rumours linking him to Salkilld and Parnasse.
A few hours ago, Ruffy posted another video on his Instagram stories to address the rumours.
“Hey guys, what's up? Look, I'm passing by here just to clear up some things because I keep seeing a bunch of fake news popping up on the internet,” Ruffy said.
He then directly denied the two potential matchups.
“There is no fight scheduled with Salkilld, and there's no fight with Parnasse either,” Ruffy added.
After ruling out both names, Ruffy revealed who he would love to face next.
“Like I've been giving you hints for the past few days, the target is Pimblett. Nobody listens to me, so I just don't want to see anyone acting surprised later when the fight gets officially announced. Let's go!” he said.
Mauricio Ruffy Has Paddy Pimblett in His Sights
The Brazilian previously called out Paddy Pimblett and Conor McGregor after knocking out Rafael Fiziev at UFC 325 in January 2026. After that, he took on Michael Chandler at the White House and knocked out the 40-year-old in the first round.
Ruffy's two-fight win streak was dashed at UFC 331, when Arman Tsarukyan knocked him out in the first round.
Although Ruffy wants to face Pimblett, Pimblett will never feel the same way right now. The Liverpool fighter, who is ranked No. 5 in the UFC lightweight division, has been focused on a potential matchup with Ilia Topuria. Dana White has also expressed interest in the idea.
Also, although Ruffy is pushing for a matchup with Pimblett, the ranking difference makes the fight less appealing for Pimblett. Ruffy sits at No. 10 and is coming off a loss, meaning 'The Baddy' would be taking on a lower-ranked opponent without much to gain. Instead, a matchup against Quillan Salkilld could make more sense for Ruffy.
