Known for spinning wheel kicks, UFC vet applauds Mauricio Ruffy's impressive KO of King Green at UFC 313

Mauricio Ruffy delivered what Joe Rogan called one of the best finishes at UFC 313. He stopped King Green with a perfectly executed spinning wheel kick in the first round.

The highlight-reel finish immediately caught the attention of fans and fighters alike. Green moved ever so slightly in the opening sequences while Ruffy suffocated him with constant stance switches. The Brazilian capitalized on an opportune moment, trapping Green against the fence, and landed the perfectly timed kick.

ESPN posted a video of the knockout on Instagram. Several fans dropped their reactions to the viral finish. Among them was UFC veteran Edson Barboza, who's famous for his iconic wheel kicks. Recognizing the skill and execution behind Ruffy’s finish, he responded with a series of clapping emojis.

Check out the Instagram post and Edson Barboza's reaction below:

Edson Barboza applauds Mauricio Ruffy for a knockout win.[Screenshots courtesy: @espn on Instagram]

Barboza scripted some of the most talked about knockouts in the sport, such as his spinning wheel kick finish of Terry Etim in 2012 and his vicious stoppage of Beneil Dariush.

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Mauricio Ruffy talks about the inspiration behind the spinning wheel kick against King Green

Mauricio Ruffy collected the Performance of the Night bonus for his stunning knockout victory over King Green at UFC 313.

The early Knockout of the Year contender established Ruffy as a serious threat in the lightweight division. The 28-year-old secured a UFC contract with a TKO victory on Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) in October 2023.

Ruffy recently revealed that the inspiration behind the kick came from Brazilian football legend Neymar. Despite not being an avid soccer fan, Ruffy admires Neymar’s dribbling skills and feints. Talking about the finish in an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Ruffy said:

“You had the feint there, the added bonus with the feint. I like to say that Neymar helped me out with that one, that was the ‘Neymar Feint. He helped me get that guy because it was his feint…I don’t watch much soccer, but I like to watch the moves because I think he’s a very skillful player. There’s a moment in the fight that I see myself as a skillful guy, a guy that has to bring skills. I use a lot of skill, and what I see Neymar do a lot is a dribble, over a dribble, a double move/compound." [H/t: bjpenn.com]

Ruffy added:

“What I wanted to do was the same thing, a feint over a feint. I threatened him with the cross, went with the overhand, and followed it up with a kick. Feint over feint…and that’s Neymar, that’s why I call it the ‘Neymar Feint.”

Check out Mauricio Ruffy's comments below (1:14:00):