Brazilian fighter Mauricio Ruffy did not enter the Octagon at UFC Freedom 250 as the crowd favorite in his bout against “Iron” Michael Chandler, but he left the Octagon as the favorite.
After a convincing win over a legendarily tough fighter in Chandler, Ruffy used his post-fight interview to praise Jesus Christ. Specifically, he quoted John 3:16 and called people to give their lives to Christ.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,” Ruffy said. “Jesus saved my life; he wants to save your life, too. Give your life to Jesus.”
The touching moment was well received by the more than 4,000 in attendance and by the multitude of others watching who flooded the comments with praise for the Brazilian.
“While Chandler attempted to use movement and a blend of wrestling and striking to slow the dynamic striking attack of Ruffy, Ruffy never hesitated to unload flashy strikes before dropping and finishing Chandler in the first round of their lightweight bout on the South Lawn of the White House,” CBS Sports reports.
“Chandler circled to open the fight, throwing leg kicks in an attempt to throw Ruffy off with movement. Chandler showed a willingness to dig into his wrestling, as well, looking for early takedowns that Ruffy was able to avoid. Ruffy responded with a heavy leg kick and a long jab that forced Chandler onto the back foot briefly.”
“I want to be the champion of this division,” Ruffy said. “I do believe I’m next up for this title shot. We’ve been talking.”