Mauricio Ruffy says he will hit championship weight for UFC Freedom 250, positioning himself as a potential backup for the Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje lightweight title unification bout.
Ruffy is already booked to face Michael Chandler at the event, which is set to take place at the White House. Despite competing in a non-title fight, he intends to forgo the standard one-pound allowance and make full championship weight.
"The talks that I've had with the UFC, and the team has had with the UFC, has lead us to believe from recent conversations, and I'm just going to say to you guys right now that on Saturday, I'm making championship weight. In case the UFC needs me and something happens, I'll be making championship weight. I'm, of course, 100 percent focused and ready to go for my fight, but if need be, I'll be ready on championship weight on Saturday. So if something happens, I'll be ready to fight for a title," Ruffy said. He added, "I'm 100 percent dedicated to this, and I'll be ready to fight for a championship," while noting, "I'm an athlete, and all of us are looking to want to develop."
Ruffy enters UFC Freedom 250 with a 13-2 professional record, including 4-1 in the UFC, and is coming off a loss to Benoit Saint Denis by submission last September. Chandler brings a 23-10 professional mark and a 2-5 UFC record into their matchup, with observers interested in how Ruffy's wrestling and grappling defense will hold up.
Reflecting on his evolution, Ruffy said, "I'm somebody who's been looking to improve and get better and evolve as a fighter and always bring new things. I've trained very hard for this, and that's what I've been able to do. I've looked for that, and I've been able to do that. The plan that Fiziev had was the same, and I was able to stifle him and perform. When you saw something like that, I was able to perform against it already."
