“When I was not in the UFC, I used to watch UFC fights and think to myself, ‘Man, I can finish all these guys. How are these fighters in the UFC and I’m not?’” Ruziboev said when asked about his early impressions of life on the UFC roster. “Of course, I knew I can get finishes. I will finish all these fights; just watch me do my magic, Inshallah.”
He did his magic against Ferreira, winning his debut in 67 seconds with a screaming right hand down the pipe after catching a naked low kick. In his sophomore appearance at the end of March in Atlantic City, Ruziboev again delivered on his confident promise, needing some additional time to dispatch Sedriques Dumas, but still getting things done inside the opening round.
WATCH: Derrick Lewis Greatest Hits
The win pushed his winning streak to 10 and stamped him as someone to keep close tabs on in the 185-pound weight class, which is why the announcement of his rapid return to action this weekend in St. Louis caught more than a few people off guard.
On Saturday night, Ruziboev will step in opposite Joaquin Buckley in the co-main event of the evening, making the move down to welterweight for the first time in a number of years to challenge the streaking local product.