Are the Fighting Nerds Washed? UFC Fighter Claps Back at Critics: “I’m moving forward”
Mauricio Ruffy recently discussed why he stepped away from his team, Fighting Nerds, to train with two-time and current UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
Ruffy is set to face Rafael Fiziev at UFC 325 on January 31. To prepare for the matchup and acclimate to conditions in Australia and the time zone, he temporarily relocated and trained without the Fighting Nerds. However, Ruffy is still a part of his Brazilian team, as he reaffirmed.
The Fighting Nerds’ perfect UFC run ended in 2025 as each fighter suffered their first loss in the promotion. Ruffy lost to Benoit Saint-Denis, Jean Silva lost to Diego Lopes, Carlos Prates lost to Ian Machado Garry, and Caio Borralho lost to Nassourdine Imavov.
While Prates has returned to winning ways, secured back-to-back knockouts, and is in the title picture, the other fighters are yet to enter the octagon for a rebound.
During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Ruffy, speaking through a translator, addressed the widespread belief that the Fighting Nerds were done after he and his teammates suffered individual defeats last year. The 29-year-old explained that the backlash, criticism, and negativity only fueled his motivation, pushing him to grow. He said:
“People were saying after my loss, Caio’s loss, Jean’s loss, that Fighting Nerds were over. For me, all of that was actually very good. It’s good to know all the sides of what can happen in an athlete’s life – when you have success and when you go off the path a little. It was very good for me to understand and learn how the media works, and how some fans are. I’m grateful to God for the path I’m walking.”
“It has made me mature a lot, not just as a UFC fighter, which for me is not the main thing, but as a man, as a father. Learning how to deal with all this as a man has done me a lot of good. I’m very happy with everything that has happened, and I’m moving forward.”
Check out Mauricio Ruffy’s comments below:
Mauricio Ruffy explains why his longtime coaches of the Fighting Nerds won’t be in his corner for UFC 325
In the same episode, Mauricio Ruffy also explained why his longtime coaches, Flavio Alvaro and Pablo Sucupira of the Fighting Nerds, won’t be in his corner for UFC 325.
“I’m still on Fighting Nerds, but in this fight, Flavio [Alvaro] and Pablo [Sucupira] will not be in my corner. Because one week before Pablo has Jean Silva’s fight, then after the fight, he needs to stay for one month with Caio Borralho in Vegas. [Pablo] He’s a dad right now, he has a baby, so I understand this moment in his life.”
Check out Mauricio Ruffy’s comments below:
