UFC debutant Mauricio Ruffy addresses being compared to Conor McGregor after UFC 301

Mauricio Ruffy shared his thoughts on being compared to Conor McGregor following his octagon debut at UFC 301. The event took place on May 4 at the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Ruffy squared off against Jamie Mullarkey in the early prelims of the pay-per-view event. He showed off his skill set in the first round by repeatedly landing on Mullarkey with his right hand and spinning back kicks. Mullarkey attempted to charge in and hold his position, but Ruffy's boxing defense was too formidable.

As the round went on, Ruffy became more aggressive, landing blows on Mullarkey just moments after executing an incredible scissor trip.

Ruffy knocked Mullarkey down with a devastating right hand and a flying knee. Once the bleeding Mullarkey stood up, the Brazilian bruiser continued to hammer him, capping off an incredible performance by finishing the Australian late in the first round.

During the event broadcast, former UFC star Din Thomas praised Ruffy while comparing him to a young McGregor. He said:

''I'm making comparisons tonight. I said it yesterday when I heard there was something special about this Ruffy kid and when I look at him now, I'm making a comparison to a young Conor McGregor. The way he is piecing this guy up, the way he's so accurate in his instincts, it reminds me of a young Conor."

Following the fight, Ruffy shared his thoughts on being compared to McGregor at the post-fight press conference.

''I don't mind being compared to Conor McGregor. The guy had a great history in the UFC, try to mirror myself in him. He's the guy who taught everyone how to make money in fights so thanks everyone who's saying that.''

Check out Mauricio Ruffy's comments below (1:28):

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Dana White praised Mauricio Ruffy's performance at UFC 301

At UFC 301, Mauricio Ruffy made a strong impression on the promotional scene by decisively taking out Jamie Mullarkey via TKO in the first round of their early preliminary bout. What attracted the attention of many was the elusive scissor sweep Ruffy executed during the bout, which even drew praise from Dana White.

White was impressed by Ruffy's approach at UFC 301. After the fight, the UFC CEO praised the Brazilian as one of the best debutants ever, posting a video of his scissor sweep on X.

He captioned the post:

"This guy is an absolute BEAST! One of the best UFC debuts of all time by Mauricio Ruffy!"

Check out the post below: