Speaking to Spin Genie, Ruffy said he’d love for his next fight to be against Paddy Pimblett, and said he’d make short work of the Liverpudlian contender. But he also conceded that they are currently on two different career paths, and will likely meet later in their careers.
If I had to choose, I’d definitely fight Paddy Pimblett today,” he said.
“However, I know that fight will happen later because the UFC is heavily invested in both of us.
“Being close to emerging athletes like Caio (Borralho), Jean (Silva), and Diego Lopes, I’ve seen how quickly things progressed for them due to their performance.
“Recently, I’ve had some of the most dominant performances in the UFC, barely taking a punch in my three fights. The UFC seems to be offering opportunities based on performance. After my last fight, they even offered me Justin Gaethje, a top-five fighter, though he didn’t accept.
“Some of my fans might think I can’t fight a top-ten opponent if I’m not ranked yet, but the UFC offered me a top-five fighter before my fight against Green. So, I’m sure the offers after this fight will be exciting for the crowd.
“I’d choose Paddy Pimblett because I’m confident I could showcase my skills against his grappling-heavy style and ultimately nullify his game.”
Ruffy acknowledges that he needs to work his way into a high-ranked position, while Pimblett is within touching distance of a title shot, but if that bout ever did come to fruition, he said he’d be very confident of a swift, decisive victory.
“A fight between myself and Paddy Pimblett would be a great matchup – for me, that is,” he stated.
“I’m not one to overly promote a fight by disparaging my opponent, but envisioning this as a game with two characters, here’s what would happen: Paddy would attempt a takedown, I’d successfully defend three, and then I’d knock him out while standing. He simply doesn’t have the striking level to exchange blows with me.
“As I’ve said before, I currently have a 100 percent takedown defense success rate. Opponents who train to take me down often don’t even attempt it in the fight, recognizing my defensive anticipation. In my 15 fights, no one has ever managed to take me down. My takedown defense is exceptionally strong.
“So, what would Paddy do? He’d go for my legs, I’d defend the takedowns, and then I’d finish him. I believe a fight against Paddy Pimblett wouldn’t last beyond the first round, possibly the second at most, but even that’s unlikely.”
With Pimblett currently out of reach, Ruffy mentioned three potential names who could be potential opponents for him in his next few fights.
“I believe that Michael Chandler or (Benoit) Saint Denis could be next,” he suggested.
“The UFC also offered me Mateusz Gamrot, but we were four days away from the fight and Jean Silva would be there to fight, so none of my coaches would be in the corner.
“This put us in a difficult position to accept the fight. Nevertheless, I’m confident that a significant opponent, like Michael Chandler, Mateusz Gamrot, or Saint Denis, will eventually come my way. We’ll see how it unfolds.
“I really believe that a name like that will come, like Michael Chandler, Mateusz Gamrot, Saint Denis, I believe that one of those guys could come.”
