All good things must eventually come to an end.<\/p>\n
Surging Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight Mauricio Ruffy scored a massive win at UFC 325<\/a> 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<\/a>).<\/p>\n The victory didn\u2019t come easy, either. Ruffy entered the bout severely compromised during fight week (details here<\/a>), making his performance even more impressive.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>. After the win, Ruffy suggested he would continue traveling to Australia for camps but still planned to return to Fighting Nerds as well.<\/p>\n Apparently, that reunion may not be happening.<\/p>\n Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana asked Silva why he unfollowed Ruffy on Instagram during UFC 325 fight week, and Silva didn\u2019t shy away from the situation.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, there\u2019s a lot to explain. It\u2019s like Ruffy over there, me over here \u2014 internal stuff,\u201d Silva said. \u201cI\u2019m 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\u2019s fine. I just hope it\u2019s genuine.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked directly if Ruffy could return to Fighting Nerds, Silva\u2019s answer was blunt.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s over. Over,\u201d Silva said. \u201cI 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 \u2014 not only him, but many athletes like me. I see a psychiatrist every week.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJean Silva and Ruffy doesn\u2019t exist anymore. Straight up. It only existed in my head.\u201d<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n The real question now is how Fighting Nerds handles the situation moving forward \u2014 particularly if teammates like Carlos Prates or Caio Borralho continue to train with or support Ruffy.<\/p>\n Time will tell how this internal drama ultimately plays out.<\/p>\n