UFC

Rising Star Mauricio Ruffy Secures New Opponent for UFC 309

garrettkerman Sports Editor

Published5 hours ago on October 30, 2024

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In a dramatic turn of events, the highly anticipated UFC 309 card has undergone a last-minute change. Mauricio Ruffy, the promising lightweight prospect who burst onto the scene with a spectacular debut earlier this year, has finally secured a new opponent for the November 16th event at Madison Square Garden.

C.Campbell out. Mauricio Ruffy will now fight James Llontop at #UFC309 on November 16th. (first rep. Te La Canté MMA) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFC2024 #UFCNY pic.twitter.com/MfiLYqgGnP

— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) October 29, 2024

James Llontop has been tapped to face Ruffy after the original matchup with Charlie Campbell fell through. This development comes as a relief to both fans and the UFC, who have been struggling to keep Ruffy on the card. The Fighting Nerds prodigy has faced a series of booking challenges since his impressive first-round knockout of Jamie Mullarkey in May.

Ruffy’s journey to his sophomore UFC appearance has been anything but smooth. The promotion has made multiple attempts to book him on pay-per-view events, including UFC 303 and UFC 307, before finally landing on UFC 309. Each time, finding a willing opponent proved to be a significant hurdle.

Charlie Campbell’s withdrawal marks the latest setback in this saga. While the exact reasons for Campbell’s exit have not been disclosed, it’s another chapter in what has become a frustrating process for Ruffy and his team.

James Llontop enters this bout with a chip on his shoulder. Despite an 0-2 record in the UFC, Llontop has shown flashes of potential. His close fight with Slava Borshchev demonstrated his striking prowess, particularly against a skilled kickboxer. This matchup presents an opportunity for Llontop to upset the apple cart and derail the Ruffy hype train.

For Mauricio Ruffy, this fight is about more than just maintaining momentum. The Fighting Nerds camp has consistently touted him as their most promising talent, a claim that has raised eyebrows and expectations in equal measure1. A dominant performance against Llontop could propel Ruffy into conversations about top-15 opponents in the stacked lightweight division.