LAS VEGAS – Brendson Ribeiro beat Diyar Nurgozhay with a second-round submission Saturday on the main card at UFC Fight Night 254 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Take a look inside the fight with Ribeiro, who came in with a chip on his shoulder after Nurgozhay missed weight by a massive 4.5 pounds for his UFC debut – in which he was a favorite of nearly 5-1.
Brendson Ribeiro def. Diyar Nurgozhay
Result: Brendson Ribeiro def. Diyar Nurgozhay via submission (kimura) – Round 2, 1:28
Updated records: Ribeiro (17-7 MMA, 2-2 UFC), Nurgozhay (10-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Key stats: Nurgozhay was a 5-1 favorite, but missed weight by 4.5 pounds for his UFC debut.
Ribeiro on the fight’s key moment
“My wife always told me to talk to a sports psychologist – it’s going to do good things. … I started doing the work with a sports psychologist, and then I moved on (to a regular therapist). If you’re good (mentally), your body is good, as well. It does wonders.”
Back to back wins for @BrendsonRibeir5 💪
He gets his first submission victory in the UFC! #UFCVegas104 pic.twitter.com/haLCVog9OG
— UFC (@ufc) March 15, 2025
Ribeiro on Nurgozhay’s 4.5-pound weight miss
“It had no influence. He could’ve been 20 pounds over and I still would’ve fought him. That’s the work we do at Brazilian TKO, and my psychologist. I’m an employee of the UFC and I’m always read to fight.”
Ribeiro on what he wants next
“I’m going to rest, and then I’ll be training and ready to go and ready for the next challenge. When the UFC comes knocking on my door – in soccer, the invaluable players always have the ball in their feet and they’re always asking for it and they score. When that ball comes to me, I’m going to kill it and I’m going to score and it’s going to be a beautiful shot.”
“I’m here to work, and I’m going to continue to work no matter what.”
Brendson Ribeiro (@BrendsonRibeir5) locked up his first submission win in the UFC and hopes to continue building momentum going forward.#UFCVegas104 Results, Interviews & More ➡️: https://t.co/qQ0pIqgrFj
— UFC News (@UFCNews) March 16, 2025
To hear more from Ribeiro, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 254.
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