Rising UFC contender wants Conor McGregor to help him ‘put an end to Islam Makhachev’

UFC lightweight prospect Mauricio Ruffy has his eyes on Islam Makhachev and the lightweight title. He is still not quite in title contention yet, but when he gets there, he plans to ask Conor McGregor for help beating the Russian.

Specifically, he hopes the Irish MMA star will serve as one of his cornermen in the potential title fight.

“One thing that I want is that when I’m ready to fight Islam Makhachev, when I go to fight him, I want to invite Conor McGregor to be in my corner, so it’s us against the Russians,” Ruffy told MMA Junkie. “I want Conor McGregor there. I want Conor McGregor there and to be up close and taste the victory for when I beat the Russians. Khabib is going to be there of course, so I want Conor McGregor to be there as part of my corner as well for when I defeat the Russians and put an end to Islam Makhachev.”

Reigniting the rivalry between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov

McGregor, of course, has plenty of history with Makhachev’s team. The Irishman, a former two-division champ, famously fought Makhachev’s coach and friend Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018. He lost the fight by submission. The pair and their teams were then involved in a massive post-fight brawl that spilled right out of the cage.

When all was said and done, their fight anchored the highest selling pay-per-view in UFC history, surpassing even UFC 100, 200, and 300.

While McGregor seems to be just about done with fighting, Ruffy is just getting started. The Fighting Nerds rep is 12-1 overall, and 3-0 in the UFC. Most recently, he scored a 2025 knockout of the year contender against Bobby Green.

Through his first three UFC fights, fans have frequently compared Ruffy’s side-on, karate-inspired style to that of McGregor.

Ruffy seems to think the comparison is valid. He actually draws inspiration from the Irishman.

“In the construction of Mauricio Ruffy, there was always a little bit of Conor McGregor there,” Ruffy said. “I can see that. I’m a big Conor McGregor fan. I love McGregor’s style. There is a little bit of McGregor there.”

Time will tell if McGregor accepts the Brazilian’s request for a team-up.