Longtime UFC lightweight Green tried to bounce back from a submission loss to Paddy Pimblett in his return at UFC 313 over the weekend. But one more peril was waiting for him there: An exciting prospect from Fighting Nerd who made sure that Green falls short on his target. Just at the 2:16 minutes mark in the first round, and Green was knocked out by a mighty spinning wheel kick that looked like a knockout of the year contender.

The fighter earned a $50K performance bonus on top of the highlight-reel KO. That win had kept him unbeaten in the UFC and surely he has been looking to continue climbing the rankings at 155 pounds. “You did your thing brother. I’d like to see you have success in your future, obrigado [thanks],” Green had said. But can you imagine what path he has taken to make a name for himself?

The rising fighter offered himself as a replacement for the co-main event between Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett in the UFC 314! Cancellation of fights is quite a troublesome issue, especially during pay-per-views. Dana White has faced this issue multiple times, where he was left scrambling for replacements after someone pulls out. Remember the Khabib vs. Tony 5x saga? And most recently, Arman Tsarukyan pulled out of a title fight against Islam Makhachev. However, for UFC 314, there seems to be a viable option as a replacement for the co-main event between Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett.

Per Dana White and the UFC, there is no official back-up fighter announced yet for the Chandler and Pimblett fight. The lightweight division is indeed brimming with top talent, and anyone in the top 10 or top 15 could step up to the plate if the need arises. Still. The problem of either fighter not making the walk still looms on the horizon. But here comes Mauricio Ruffy who is ready rise up to the occasion.

The ‘Fighting Nerds’ lightweight has been on an absolute tear lately, after making his debut last year. Despite having just three UFC fights under his belt, ‘One Shot’ feels ready for a step up in competition. So he’s requested Dana White to set him up as the backup fighter for the Chander vs Pimblett clash.

“UFC, I’m ready to face Michael Chandler or Paddy Pimblett, if the fight falls through,” Mauricio Ruffy wrote on X. “I’m 100% physically, I’M READY! You have my number, just call.”

After destroying King, Ruffy had said about his viscious kick, “I was preparing that strike and 30 more back there, and I was ready to go. What I wanted to do is surprise everyone, the crowd, the UFC, and that’s what happened. I wanted to dominate, control. I just waited for the right moment to get it done.” Looks like, Ruffy is eager to show the UFC world more of his heroics.

While Mauricio Ruffy wants in on the Michael Chandler vs Paddy Pimblett fight, a fellow lightweight appears to have no interest in watching that fight. In fact, the #1 lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan even claims that there is nothing hanging in the balance for any of the fighters of the UFC 314 co-main event.

Michael Chandler vs Paddy Pimblett is a ‘hype fight’, claims Arman Tsarukyan

Being the number one contender in the lightweight division, Arman Tsarukyan is as close as it gets to the title. So much so, that he doesn’t see any other fight in the same league as what he’s pursuing. Why do we say that? Well, because he made a pretty bold statement about Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett.

Given their standing in the division, ‘Akhalkalakets’ claims that he doesn’t rate the duo as credible contenders, and as such, he refrains from ‘following’ their UFC careers. While claiming that he’s on a higher echelon than Chandler and Pimblett, the Armenian star downplayed their upcoming fight, insinuating that Dana White has set that up just as a filler for the PPV.

“I got, I don’t know [actually], they’re both not good so I don’t follow them, it’s like a 50/50 fight, it’s just a hype fight, I don’t watch their fights because they’re not on my level,” Arman Tsarukyan told The Schmo. “It’s top 5 fighters or real contenders fights [that I watch].” Despite what the Armenian star has to say, fight fans are in for a treat. Just because you’re not fighting for a title, doesn’t mean you can’t raise your stock as a fighter. Besides, we’ve had one too many boring title fights in the UFC.

Regardless, given that it is a co-main event, Dana White might take a look at the possible options for the backup fighter before considering Mauricio Ruffy. But if Ruffy does end up stepping up, we know we’re in for one heck of a rollercoaster ride! Does Ruffy make the cut to feature in that spot on the UFC 314 card? Drop your comments below.