Mauricio Ruffy wants Beneil Dariush after UFC 313 KO of Year candidate

LAS VEGAS – After arguably one of the most vicious knockouts in UFC history, Mauricio Ruffy knows exactly what he wants next.

Ruffy (12-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) landed a spinning heel kick on King Green (32-17-1 MMA, 13-12-1 UFC) a little more than two minutes into their main card opener Saturday at UFC 313. Green, who has turned out many lights himself, was out cold, face first on the canvas.

Ruffy, a member of Brazil’s fast-rising Fighting Nerds team, won a $50,000 performance bonus for the finish, which is sure to be a Knockout of the Year contender come December.

“I’m very happy with the win and very happy with the opportunity,” Ruffy said at his post-fight news conference at T-Mobile Arena. “I think I did justice to the vote of confidence the UFC has given me. Wherever (that kick) came from, there’s a lot more to come. … We work very hard at the gym for things to happen. Actually, back in the locker room, we were working on that kick, as well.”

Ruffy, a lightweight who will turn 29 in June, has 11 of his 12 wins by knockout. The lone time he’s had to go to a decision to get his hand raised came in his second UFC fight this past November. Against James Llontop at UFC 309 in New York, he put in 15 minutes.

But clearly, it’s the bonus-winning finishes he prefers, like his win over Green and his knockout of Jamie Mullarkey in his UFC debut.

“Listen, there are a lot of secrets about Ruffy style that you don’t know yet,” he said. “You have no idea, and I can’t wait to put them against a grappler, a wrestler. There are many more things that Ruffy can offer that you have not seen, but you’re going to see it in the UFC.”

When it comes to whom he’d next like to showcase his skills against, that grappler and wrestler he has in mind is none other than Beneil Dariush, a 35-year-old lightweight standout who has been in the promotion for nearly a dozen years.

After an eight-fight winning streak had him in title contention, Dariush was knocked out by former champ Charles Oliveira in June 2023. He lost a second straight for the first time in his career when ARman Tsarukyan knocked him out in December 2023 in a main event in Austin, Texas.

Dariush was set to return in January against Renato Moicano at UFC 311, but when Tsarukyan suffered a fight week injury, Moicano was tapped to fight Islam Makhachev for the title. Dariush was left with his cheese in the wind and without a fight.

Two months later, he hasn’t been officially rebooked, and Ruffy is down.

“My goal in the UFC is to be a champion and to get the title shot as soon as possible. Myself, along with the team, decided that is a name that puts us closer to a title shot. So that’s what we want.”

To hear more from Ruffy, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 313.