‘He looks like a giant Conor’… UFC 309 star compared to Conor McGregor calls out top lightweight after masterful performance

Opening the blockbuster UFC 309 main card this Saturday was one of the top prospects in the UFC, Mauricio Ruffy, who took on James Llontop in a catchweight bout.

After an incredibly impressive UFC debut at UFC 301, fans highlighted 'Fighting Nerds' Mauricio Ruffy as one of those keeping an eye on the prospects across the promotion.

Realizing his immense potential, the UFC tasked him with opening the blockbuster UFC 309 main card, culminating in the heavyweight title fight, Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Mauricio Ruffy is being compared to Conor McGregor and is coming off an incredible UFC 309 win

Ruffy's fight against Llontop was changed to a 165-pound catchweight fight after the Peruvian came in and couldn't make the 156-pound weight limit for lightweight.

In the first round, the sensational Brazilian striker quickly showed why he is one of the most watched prospects in the UFC after blasting Llontop with a hellish right hand that sent him crashing to the ground.

'One Shot' Ruffy remained patient and did not rush in to try to end the fight and Llontop managed to get back to his feet where he appeared to apply some forward pressure on the 28-year-old striker.

Despite this, Ruffy continued to catch the Peruvian with huge counter right hands, prompting commentator Joe Rogan to compare Ruffy to former UFC doubles champion Conor McGregor, saying he looked like a “giant Conor.”

Ruffy's style is very similar to that of 'The Notorious' McGregor, as he remains light on his feet and tries to catch his opponents with heavy counter shots.

In the second round, the 28-year-old dropped Llontop again, but this time, with a completely unique look-away uppercut, he dropped 'Goku' again.

After an extremely impressive first two rounds, Ruffy started to slow down on the final lap while Llontop kept going. However, he kept getting caught with ferocious right hands and his face became more and more unrecognizable.

Mauricio Ruffy calls out Benoit Saint-Denis after UFC 309 win

While the impressive Brazilian was already struggling to find suitors in the 155lb division, Ruffy came away locked and loaded with a callout after his impressive performance.

“No frustration from me (that no one wants to fight me), it's part of the process and I want to thank the UFC, Dana White and Sean Shelby for giving me the opportunity. They gave me the opportunity to be on a card at Madison Square Garden, look at the opportunities I'm getting.

“Saint-Denis, what do you think of (my performance)? Let's start fighting, are you ready? Let's go!” Ruffy said in his Octagon interview with Rogan.

Benoit Saint-Denis is coming back from back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano, but he still occupies twelfth place in the lightweight division.

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