Outside Source
Mauricio Ruffy has been exploring different training options ahead of UFC 325. | Getty/UFC
The Fighting Nerds coaches Pablo Sucupira and Flavio Alvaro will not be in Mauricio Ruffy‘s corner for his fight with Rafael Fiziev at UFC 325.
Both spoke about the matter with journalist Diego Ribas on his podcast “Direto de Vegas” on the Ag.Fight YouTube channel. The coaches made it clear, however, that the team’s doors remain open for the athlete who, after suffering his first defeat to Benoit St. Denis in September, opted to spend a season at City Kickboxing, where he has been training with the likes of Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski.
“Today, my relationship with Ruffy is personal, not professional. I don’t coach Ruffy anymore,” Alvaro said. “He participates in my group training sessions, but I don’t coach him. This is something that’s good for us, maintaining our friendship, respect and affection. Ruffy is my friend. I like him, I love him, and I’m sure he has a special affection for me. And we get along very well on that personal level. Whatever he needs from me personally – him, his family – I’ll be ready. Now, professionally, it’s Pablito (Sucupira) who takes the reins of the whole game.”
In Episode No. 16 the following week, it was Sucupira, the team’s head coach, who addressed the topic with Ribas.
“Ruffy is a very important part of Fighting Nerds, and he was the one who brought Flávio Álvaro to the team,” Sucupira said. “When he chose to spend a season at City Kickboxing and sharpen his muay thai in Thailand, I understood and supported him. The doors of Fighting Nerds will always be open for him.”
Sucupira clarified, however, that given the athlete’s decision, he will not be in Ruffy’s corner in Australia since Jean Silva will be fighting the previous week at UFC 324 against Arnold Allen in Las Vegas.
No Hard Feelings
Sucupira recalled that he always supported Caio Borralho´s decision when he trained with Khamzat Chimaev, Paulo Costa and Sean Strickland and made a point of reiterating that he no longer believes in the old “creonte” (traitor) mentality that marked Brazilian MMA in the Pride era.
“There is no more room for ‘creonte’ mentality. That’s in the past,” he said. “I always tell my athletes that I prefer to see you succeeding and happy on another team than failing and unhappy with me.”
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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