All good things must eventually come to an end.
Surging Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight Mauricio Ruffy scored a massive win at UFC 325 last weekend (Sat., Jan. 31, 2026), stopping Rafael Fiziev via second-round TKO inside Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (watch highlights).
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The victory didn’t come easy, either. Ruffy entered the bout severely compromised during fight week (details here), making his performance even more impressive.
One of the bigger storylines heading into the fight was Ruffy conducting his entire training camp in Australia alongside reigning Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, temporarily stepping away from his longtime home at Fighting Nerds. After the win, Ruffy suggested he would continue traveling to Australia for camps but still planned to return to Fighting Nerds as well.
Apparently, that reunion may not be happening.
Jean Silva — a fellow Fighting Nerds standout — revealed this week that his relationship with Ruffy is effectively finished.
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Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana asked Silva why he unfollowed Ruffy on Instagram during UFC 325 fight week, and Silva didn’t shy away from the situation.
“Look, there’s a lot to explain. It’s like Ruffy over there, me over here — internal stuff,” Silva said. “I’m not going to be the one to expose anything. What I can say is that I want distance from him, and I hope he wants the same too. If he says he loves me, that’s fine. I just hope it’s genuine.”
When asked directly if Ruffy could return to Fighting Nerds, Silva’s answer was blunt.
“It’s over. Over,” Silva said. “I wish Ruffy the best. I genuinely want him to win. This kid has absurd star quality, but he has internal issues he needs to resolve. I hope he seeks help — not only him, but many athletes like me. I see a psychiatrist every week.”
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“Jean Silva and Ruffy doesn’t exist anymore. Straight up. It only existed in my head.”
While the full details of the fallout haven’t been made public, it’s hard not to speculate whether Ruffy’s growing relationship with Volkanovski — the UFC champion in Silva’s own division — played a role in the split.
Still, MMA fans have seen this story plenty of times before. T.J. Dillashaw’s exit from Team Alpha Male, Jon Jones and Rashad Evans becoming rivals, and the bitter feud between former American Top Team teammates Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington all serve as reminders that gym loyalty doesn’t always last.
Other notable splits include Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison, Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns, and even deep cuts like Antonio Silva and Thiago Silva.
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The real question now is how Fighting Nerds handles the situation moving forward — particularly if teammates like Carlos Prates or Caio Borralho continue to train with or support Ruffy.
Time will tell how this internal drama ultimately plays out.
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