At UFC Fight Night 258 in Paris, hometown favorite Benoît Saint Denis delivered a dominant grappling display to submit rising contender Maurício Ruffy in the co-main event. Saint Denis immediately pressed forward, scoring multiple takedowns and advancing to dominant positions, including mount and back control. Although Ruffy had brief moments of success stuffing shots and reversing position, Saint Denis’s relentless clinch work and pressure wore him down. In Round 2, after another takedown and back take, Saint Denis landed heavy shots before sinking in a rear-naked choke at 2:56 to secure the tap, handing Ruffy his first UFC defeat and dropping him to 12–2 as a professional.
The next logical step for Ruffy is a fight with longtime UFC veteran Michael Johnson. Johnson is fresh off a unanimous decision win over Daniel Zellhuber at UFC 318 and remains a durable, dangerous striker with decades of experience in the lightweight division. A matchup with Johnson would allow Ruffy to test himself against a proven name while giving him the opportunity to bounce back from his first loss inside the Octagon.
Stylistically, this matchup is compelling. Ruffy is an explosive finisher with knockout power in both hands and a flashy arsenal of strikes, while Johnson has built his career on speed, crisp boxing, and the ability to hang with some of the best lightweights in history. For Ruffy, it’s a chance to prove he belongs among the ranked contenders. For Johnson, it’s an opportunity to add another rising prospect to his long list of tested opponents and extend his late-career resurgence.
Last Five Fights – Maurício Ruffy:
1. Loss to Benoît Saint Denis – Submission (rear-naked choke), UFC Fight Night: Imavov vs. Borralho (September 6, 2025)
2. Win over King Green – KO (spinning wheel kick), UFC 313 (March 8, 2025)
3. Win over James Llontop – Decision (unanimous), UFC 309 (November 16, 2024)
4. Win over Jamie Mullarkey – TKO (punches), UFC 301 (May 4, 2024)
5. Win over Raimond Magomedaliev – TKO (punches), Dana White’s Contender Series 65 (October 3, 2023)
Last Five Fights – Michael Johnson:
1. Win over Daniel Zellhuber – Decision (unanimous), UFC 318 (July 19, 2025)
2. Win over Ottman Azaitar – KO (punch), UFC on ESPN: Covington vs. Buckley (December 14, 2024)
3. Win over Darrius Flowers – Decision (unanimous), UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Pyfer (February 10, 2024)
4. Loss to Carlos Diego Ferreira – KO (punch), UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Hill (May 20, 2023)
5. Win over Marc Diakiese – Decision (unanimous), UFC on ESPN: Thompson vs. Holland (December 3, 2022)