Ruffy stops Chandler with spinning wheel kick then proposes to girlfriend at UFC White House

Mauricio Ruffy capped a spectacular first-round finish of Michael Chandler with a marriage proposal at UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday at the White House, turning a highlight-reel performance into one of the most talked-about moments of the event.

Ruffy controlled the lightweight bout from the outset, battering Chandler before landing a clean spinning wheel kick late in the first round. A brief flurry of follow-up strikes prompted the referee to wave off the contest, handing Ruffy his fourth finish from five UFC victories.

With the crowd still buzzing, Ruffy used his post-fight interview to address his girlfriend Nadine directly — explaining that a lack of financial means had previously prevented him from popping the question.

“A while ago, when I met my wife Nadine. I really wanted to ask her to marry me, but we didn’t have the money, we didn’t have the condition,” Ruffy said. “And now, what better place, to ask my wife to get married. Nadine, I love you, would you marry me?”

The cameras did not cut to Nadine in the crowd, but UFC commentator Joe Rogan confirmed she responded with a thumbs up.

The win improves Ruffy’s record to 14-2, with his only UFC defeat coming against Benoit St. Denis. Chandler, meanwhile, falls to 23-11 overall and has now lost four consecutive fights since 2022, going 2-6 since joining the UFC roster in 2021.