A Second Chance for Brendson Ribeiro

Not much went according to plan in Brendson Ribeiro’s first Ultimate Fighting Championship assignment, as Mingyang Zhang ambushed him with punches a little less than two minutes into their UFC 298 pairing in February. Fortunately for the Brazilian, he has time and opportunity on his side.

“I’m still young,” Ribeiro told Sherdog.com. “I’m only 27. My UFC debut wasn’t as expected, but I still have much to show. I have much more to give.”

Ribeiro will take his second swing at a first win inside the Octagon when he faces the unbeaten promotional newcomer Magomed Gadzhiyasulov as part of the UFC on ABC 6 undercard this Saturday at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Gadzhiyasulov marches into his debut with a perfect 8-0 record in tow. The UFC signed the 30-year-old Russian after he took a unanimous decision from Jose Medina on Week 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series in October. Gadzhiyasulov has six first-round finishes on his resume.

“I believe it’s going to be an exciting fight for the fans, for everyone attending in person and for those watching at home,” Ribeiro said. “I’ve watched him fight. He’s undefeated, but I see that he’s not a complete fighter. He comes from [a] muay thai [background]. He wrestles a little and has some takedowns, but he doesn’t work so well on the mat. I see myself as superior and more experienced. Wherever the fight plays out, I’ll be very ready to capture the win. You can be sure of that.”

Ribeiro followed a similar path to the UFC. He captured the Shooto Brazil light heavyweight championship in December 2022 and landed a UFC contract with his sensational first-round knockout of Bruno Lopes on Week 5 of DWCS the following September.

“It was a magical moment in my life,” Ribeiro said. “You can be sure that I’ll bring the fans many great moments like that one. To now be a UFC fighter is a dream come true.”

The loss to Zhang interrupted Ribeiro’s progress and halted his three-fight winning streak. He views it as nothing more than a hiccup.

“I planned on a great win,” Ribeiro said. “Everyone could see that I was doing much better than him. I believe he and his coaches all had a difficult time believing that he won, but that’s how it goes. Two men step in, one wins and one loses. I fell for what he wanted, which was a brawl. If I had kept fighting at distance, I would have won. He deserves that win.”

Ribeiro continues to stage his training camps at Brazilian TKO, where he studies under Andre Amado and works alongside qualified stablemates like Bruno Silva, Brunno Ferreira, Milson Castro and Samuel Silva. His loyalties there run deep.

“Our training sessions are the best in the world,” Ribeiro said. “Our academy is one of the biggest. I don’t camp at other locations. I plan to be part of this team until the end of my career. My training couldn’t have been better. I’m very well trained. I’ll show up and get this win for us.”

His ill-fated encounter with Zhang notwithstanding, Ribeiro still holds high hopes for a possible run in the UFC light heavyweight division. It all starts with Gadzhiyasulov.

“Soon, I’ll make it to the top of our weight class, causing trouble for everyone,” Ribeiro said, “but for that to happen, I have to win.”