UFC debutant with "accurate" instincts has shades of young Conor McGregor, says veteran commentator Din Thomas

Veteran commentator Din Thomas recently praised a UFC rookie for his performance at UFC 301, even drawing comparisons between him and a young Conor McGregor.

The fighter is Mauricio Ruffy, who made his promotional debut on home soil against Jamie Mullarkey in the early prelims at UFC 301.

Ruffy demonstrated his skill set in the opening round by landing on Mullarkey multiple times with clipping right hands and spinning back kicks. Mullarkey tried to keep his ground and charge in, but Ruffy's boxing defense was too strong as he covered up along the cage.

Ruffy responded to his effective defense with even more aggression, throwing strikes at Mullarkey moments after pulling off a spectacular scissor trip that won over cheers from all corners and was even commended by UFC CEO Dana White.

After landing a vicious right hand and a leaping knee on Mullarkey, Ruffy knocked him to the ground. Once the bleeding Mullarkey stood back up, the Brazilian bruiser continued to hammer him, putting the finishing touches on an amazing display by TKOing the American late in the opening round.

During the UFC 301 broadcast, Thomas shared his thoughts on Ruffy's performance while comparing him to a young Conor McGregor. He said:

''I'm making comparisons tonight. I said it yesterday when I heard there was something special about this Ruffy kid and when I look at him now, I'm making a comparison to a young Conor McGregor. The way he is piecing this guy up, the way he's so accurate in his instincts, it reminds me of a young Conor."

After the contest, White praised Ruffy as one of the greatest debutants ever and shared a video of his scissor sweep on X:

"This guy is an absolute BEAST! One of the best UFC debuts of all time by Mauricio Ruffy!"