Mauricio Ruffy Preaches Respect for Charles Oliveira, Hopes Fight Only Happens for Title
The Brazilian prospect says his hesitation has nothing to do with fear, explaining that he hopes any future fight with Charles Oliveira comes with a title on the line.
Shortly after Charles Oliveira defeated Max Holloway to win the BMF title, Mauricio Ruffy questioned "do Bronx's" approach in the fight, suggesting the former champion should have relied more on his striking to better reflect the spirit of the BMF belt. Unsurprisingly, the comments went viral and didn't sit well with many of Oliveira's fans.
However, it all seems to have been a misunderstanding. Now, Ruffy has made a point of praising Oliveira and admitted he hopes that, if they ever meet inside the Octagon, it will be under special circumstances.
Mauricio Ruffy: From Fan to Potential Rival
At 30 years old, Ruffy was only a teenager when Oliveira signed with the UFC in 2010. Back then, the Brazilian prospect used to cheer for Do Bronx long before he could even imagine one day joining the promotion himself.
Speaking on Ag Fight's "Direto de Vegas" podcast, Ruffy explained that his reluctance has never been about avoiding Oliveira, but rather about the admiration he has for someone he watched throughout his own journey into MMA.
"Fighting Charles isn't something I wanted to do, as I said," Mauricio Ruffy began. "But it's like I even said in a video, it's not out of fear, as some people have suggested, right? It's not out of fear. I respect Charles. [...] How many times did I scream at home while watching Charles fight? I wasn't even in the UFC yet, you know? Sometimes people don't know the story behind it. [...] I hope that, if the fight happens, it'll be for a very special reason, you know? A title. A title or something like that."
Charles Oliveira Remains Among the Lightweight Elite
Ruffy's comments also reflect Oliveira's current position in the lightweight division. After defeating Max Holloway to capture the BMF title, do Bronx has once again established himself among the UFC's biggest stars and remains in the conversation for another lightweight championship opportunity.
Given the former champion's status, Ruffy believes a potential meeting between the two should carry major stakes rather than happen as just another matchup.
As for Ruffy, the Brazilian has enjoyed a rapid rise since earning a UFC contract through Dana White's Contender Series. In just six appearances inside the Octagon, he has collected three Performance of the Night bonuses. After suffering his first promotional defeat against Benoît Saint Denis, Ruffy bounced back with consecutive TKO victories over Rafael Fiziev and Michael Chandler.
Whether the matchup happens or not remains to be seen. But if Ruffy gets his wish, a fight against one of his biggest idols would come with much more than rankings at stake.
