Ruffy joins Volkanovski in Thailand

Mauricio Ruffy has revealed that he is in Thailand after receiving a call from Alexander Volkanovski, a development that adds a tangible training detail to the ongoing discussion around Volkanovski’s next featherweight title defense. Ruffy said on an Instagram story that he has always told Volkanovski he would be available whenever called, and that the call has now brought him to Thailand. The post does not confirm a fight, a date or a UFC announcement. It does, however, provide a direct indication that Volkanovski is assembling training support while a proposed title meeting with Movsar Evloev continues to be discussed.

Volkanovski has spent several months calling for his next featherweight title defense to be against Evloev. The source says he had also declared himself open to moving up to lightweight to fight Justin Gaethje for the title, but that his focus had been on a summer return for the Evloev matchup. Ruffy’s arrival should therefore be read as a camp-related development rather than as definitive proof that every part of the proposed title fight is settled. That distinction matters because the available material contains a fighter’s claim and a training update, but no confirmation from the promotion. Ruffy’s message is specific about why he travelled, while the bout’s formal status remains unresolved in the supplied reporting.

Ruffy explains why he travelled

Ruffy described the decision in straightforward terms, saying Volkanovski called him and that he was now in Thailand. His wording presents the trip as a response to a request from the featherweight champion rather than a previously announced joint training plan. The pair only began training together at the end of last year, after Ruffy decided to change aspects of his training. That makes the current reunion a notable continuation of a relatively recent working relationship, not a long-established public camp arrangement. The source also says Ruffy has officially left the Fighting Nerds team following a falling out with former teammate Jean Silva.

For Volkanovski, the immediate significance is practical: Ruffy has publicly identified himself as available and has confirmed that he answered a call to join him in Thailand. For readers following the title picture, the more important limit is equally clear. The source does not say that Volkanovski announced an opponent, signed a contract or set a date. Training activity can be relevant because it suggests preparation is underway, but it is not a replacement for a promotion announcement. The reported sequence leaves room for anticipation while preserving the difference between a prospective matchup and an official event booking.

Evloev bout still lacks promotion confirmation

Evloev, described in the source as an undefeated 32-year-old Russian contender, said in May that a title fight with Volkanovski was “officially signed” and would take place at the end of summer. Yet the same material states that the promotion had not confirmed the potential title clash. That is the key timeline surrounding Ruffy’s update: Evloev made his claim first, Volkanovski’s training circle now appears to be taking shape, and an official confirmation still had not been supplied in the report. The source further notes that Volkanovski had hoped to fight at the end of summer. It also reports that Arman Tsarukyan could headline UFC 331 on September 19, which it frames as leaving UFC 332 as the next potential date for Volkanovski. Those are reported possibilities, not confirmed scheduling details for a Volkanovski-Evloev fight.

• Ruffy said Volkanovski called him, and Ruffy confirmed that he had arrived in Thailand.
• Evloev said in May that the title fight was signed, but the source says the promotion had not confirmed the matchup.

Ruffy’s update is meaningful because it supplies a first-hand account of Volkanovski calling on him and shows that the two are working together in Thailand. It also gives the proposed Evloev defense a more concrete camp-related backdrop. Still, the news stops short of making the title fight official. Until the promotion confirms the opponent, date and event, the strongest supported conclusion is that Volkanovski’s preparation appears to be moving forward while the formal status of the Evloev matchup remains open.