LAS VEGAS – Fighting and soccer don’t overtly appear to go hand in hand, but to the Fighting Nerds’ Mauricio Ruffy, there is a correlation.
Ruffy (11-1 MMA, 2- UFC) is one of the promotion’s hottest rising lightweights. After just two fights, he creates buzz with each tweet and social media post. His swagger and flare are drawn from the stars of soccer.
“I take a lot from soccer,” Ruffy told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a news conference Wednesday. “I take a lot of inspiration, like the moves, the way that they have to do so stuff. Neymar has been a source of inspiration for me. I even have a particular move that I say, ‘That’s my Neymar move.’ I’ve done it in the UFC, too. I think the way that they move and the way they have to dodge things, the way that they have to make fast decisions, I think it inspires me. I see a lot in soccer and it brings back.”
