Mauricio Ruffy reveals illness nearly forced withdrawal from UFC 325

Illness almost derailed the January matchup.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Jul 91 min read

Mauricio Ruffy shares how the flu and a back injury nearly forced him out of his fight against Rafael Fiziev at UFC 325: Via @arielhelwani on X

What happened: Mauricio Ruffy disclosed that influenza and a back injury nearly forced his withdrawal from UFC 325. His symptoms began the Saturday before fight week, prompting the promotion to briefly consider pulling him from the event.

Why it matters: The circumstances highlight the physical hurdles Ruffy navigated prior to the bout. He ultimately overcame the ailments to defeat Rafael Fiziev.

By the numbers: Ruffy stopped Fiziev with punches at the 4:30 mark of the second round.

What to watch: The promotion recently teased an upcoming appearance for Ruffy on its broadcast schedule.

Sources

@arielhelwani 2026-07-09T19:30:34.007951+00:00

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