Mauricio Ruffy says he’s fully focused on himself as he heads into a high-profile showdown with Michael Chandler at UFC Freedom 250, set for June 14 on the South Lawn of the White House.
Ruffy, once part of the Brazil-based Fighting Nerds team, confirmed he has split from the camp but insists there is no bad blood despite fan scrutiny over the move. “I saw some trash talk on social media, but I don't care about that,” Ruffy said.
“I will always go to Fighting Nerds to check in and speak with my friends, and it's really normal to me. I still have my fans. I didn't lose any fans because of that because they know I'm doing what's best for me, and I'm good with that,” he added, emphasizing that he maintains close ties with Pablo Sucupira and others from the team.
Now living in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Ruffy has created his own training environment. “I live in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and I've built a space 100 percent focused on me, bringing in fighters and coaches focused 100 percent only on me,” he said.
Ruffy, who trained with Alexander Volkanovski in Australia for his February TKO win over Rafael Fiziev, is targeting further growth in his wrestling as he prepares for Chandler. “Michael Chandler has very specific characteristics, and it's common to train for him. He's a guy that comes in with heavy hands and works hard to get the takedowns. So, we're preparing a lot of that. We're also not just thinking about him, but my career as well, looking to evolve in wrestling.”
