NEW YORK – James Llontop has seen the hype surrounding his Saturday opponent. In some ways, how could he not? Brazil’s Mauricio Ruffy is part of the upstart Fighting Nerds gym that quickly has taken the MMA world by storm. Not only has the team found a way to use a playful gimmick – the classic nerd-as-hidden-in-plain-sight-tough-guy trope – to appeal to fans, but its fighters have been near-flawless in 2024 in the UFC. Ruffy (10-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is who stands between Llontop (14-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) and his first UFC win at UFC 309 (pay-per-view, ESPNews/Hulu/FX, ESPN+) at Madison Square Garden in New York.