Mauricio Ruffy has announced he will serve as the backup fighter for the Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway bout. Ruffy has already begun studying Holloway's film in preparation for the role.
Mauricio Ruffy has been named the backup fighter for the upcoming lightweight clash between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway, with the Brazilian already deep in film study on Holloway ahead of the assignment.
Ruffy, 30, carries a 14-2 record and sits ranked fourteenth in the lightweight division. Training out of The Fighting Nerds, the Brazilian orthodox striker stands five-foot-eleven with a notably long seventy-five-inch reach. He lands 4.19 significant strikes per minute at a striking accuracy of 58 percent, one of the sharper efficiency marks in the division.
McGregor, 37, enters with a 22-6 record and brings southpaw pressure from five-foot-nine with a seventy-four-inch reach. Fighting out of SBG Ireland, "The Notorious" averages 5.32 significant strikes per minute at 49 percent accuracy.
Holloway, meanwhile, is ranked fourth at lightweight and ninth pound-for-pound at 34 years old. The Hawaiian, representing Gracie Technics, holds a 27-9 record and is among the most prolific volume strikers in the sport, landing 7.2 significant strikes per minute. He stands five-foot-eleven with a sixty-nine-inch reach.
Why it matters
- Ruffy's 58 percent striking accuracy and extended seventy-five-inch reach give him a distinct physical profile that creates an interesting stylistic challenge for either headliner.
- A backup role of this visibility puts the fourteenth-ranked Ruffy in front of a massive audience, with potential ranking implications if he were called upon.
- The McGregor-Holloway matchup pits two of the sport's most recognizable strikers against each other at lightweight, making the backup assignment one of the more high-profile support roles on any recent card.
