UFC 325 results, highlights: Mauricio Ruffy knocks out Rafael Fiziev, continues ascent up lightweight rankings
Ruffy weathered the storm from Fiziev early before finding the finish in the second round
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1 min read
Mauricio Ruffy has always been an elite knockout threat. What he sometimes lacked was elite composure. At UFC 325, Ruffy showed off the championship composure that comes from training with UFC featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski.
Ruffy collided with fellow striker Rafael Fizev on Saturday. It was a pivotal fight for Ruffy, who was coming off his first UFC loss against Benoit Saint Denis. Ruffy's demise in that fight was his urgency to force a memorable finish. Against Fiziev, he took his time. Fiziev looked good earlier, pressuring Ruffy to the fence and lighting him up with kicks. Ruffy started refreshingly slow and found his groove towards the end of Round 1.
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That slow escalation served him well. Ruffy started taking control of the fight in the second frame. In the last minute, he blasted Fiziev with an ultra-precise right cross. The punch sounded like a baseball bat, putting Fiziev in immediate trouble. Fiziev barely survived the initial onslaught of strikes, but fell over immediately after getting to his feet. The referee intervened with 30-seconds left in the second round.
Post-fight, Ruffy called out Paddy Pimblett and Conor McGregor.
