By:
Paul Kelly
UFC lightweight contender Mauricio Ruffy has revealed he is in contention to fight Conor McGregor in his comeback.
The Brazilian called out McGregor following his UFC 325 victory over Rafael Fiziev, and has since revealed that his name has come up in talks for the Irishman’s highly-anticipated return.
Mauricio Ruffy In Line For Conor McGregor Comeback Fight
After almost five years outside of the octagon, 2026 finally looks like the year when Conor McGregor makes his highly-anticipated comeback and returns to the UFC cage.
The Irishman shared new training footage amid speculation of his UFC return, which the former duel-weight simultaneous king has hinted is most definitely happening.
McGregor has been vocal from the outset of his desire to return at UFC White House, which is set for June 14 on the South Lawn in Washington DC.
Whether or not the 37-year-old returns on that card or at another event remains to be seen. In terms of an opponent for his comeback, there have been numerous names thrown about.
https://twitter.com/FightersOnly/status/2018675903262253524
Michael Chandler, Jorge Masvidal, Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz are just some of the names that were mentioned for McGregor’s comeback. Now there is another – Mauricio Ruffy.
Ruffy called-out McGregor following his impressive UFC 325 victory over Rafael Fiziev, which saw the Brazilian win via knockout in the second round. Ruffy has launched up to ninth in the latest lightweight rankings, and now has his sights set on facing McGregor in his return.
After originally calling McGregor out in the octagon after his UFC 325 victory, Ruffy has doubled down and has revealed there have been talks surrounding him facing the Irishman in his long-awaited comeback:
“There were comments about me fighting him… In his return, he doesn’t want to fight a guy who’s coming off several losses. He wants to fight a good striker who will drive the crowd crazy,” Ruffy concluded.
https://twitter.com/ChampRDS/status/2018477081915507188
McGregor vs Ruffy Could Headline UFC White House
There is still no official confirmation that Conor McGregor will return to the UFC this year. Although he himself is adamant that he will be back in the octagon this year and is training away back home in Ireland, UFC President Dana White hasn’t confirmed anything as of yet.
The 37-year-old is said to be entering new UFC contract negotiations this month, which can only be positive news. If McGregor and the UFC can come to an agreement and strike a new contract, McGregor could well return to the octagon as soon as the summer.
The former two-weight simultaneous UFC champion has made it abundantly clear that his full intention is to fight on the UFC White House card on June 14.
https://twitter.com/ChampRDS/status/1973566977429156084
The Irishman is fully focused on returning on the South Lawn, which would make sense for all parties involved. McGregor has a strong relationship with US President Donald Trump, which certainly helps his case for headlining the event.
If he does, it could well be against Mauricio Ruffy. The UFC lightweight contender is a great stylistic match-up for ‘Notorious’, with both men strikers and keen to stand and trade on the feet.
McGregor has also alluded to the fact that he doesn’t want a ‘gimme’ for his comeback, and would prefer a tough challenge. Ruffy certainly fits the bill as a tough challenge, which makes a fight between him and McGregor incredibly appealing for UFC White House.
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