UFC 301 winner Mauricio Ruffy warns Islam Makhachev 'a new king is coming' after debut

First Mauricio Ruffy sent a stern message with his performance in his UFC debut, then with his words after the win.

Ruffy (10-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) brought the violence at UFC 301 as he defeated Jamie Mullarkey by first-round TKO on Saturday at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Ruffy, making his promotional debut after earning a UFC contract last year on Dana White’s Contender Series, finished the fight with a flying knee and an arsenal of strikes at the 4:42 mark.

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Even though it was just one fight in the UFC for the 30-year-old Brazilian, that didn’t stop Ruffy from putting lightweight champion Islam Makhachev on notice during his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier.

“I have a message for Islam Makhachev, a nice message: Hey, enjoy your days at the top,” Ruffy said. “I know you’re upset because I beat your friend, but enjoy your days because a new king is coming.”

Ruffy’s win on DWCS came against Makhachev training partner Raimond Magomedaliev by third-round TKO last October.

Including that fight and his UFC debut, Ruffy is on a five-fight winning streak. Ruffy no doubt is facing a long road before even being considered for a fight with Makhachev, but he’s at least on the right track.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 301.