Brendson Ribeiro got extra joy in being Diyar Nurgozhay's first loss after big weight miss at UFC Fight Night 254
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.
Gallery UFC Fight Night 254: Best photos from Las Vegas
View 130 photos
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
UFC on ABC 9 predictions: Robert Whittaker or Reinier de Ridder in Abu Dhabi?
The UFC is back in Abu Dhabi with a former middleweight champion taking on a rising new contender. UFC on ABC 9 (ABC, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Get pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below. Bogdan Guskov vs. Nikita Krylov Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Ochoa Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Shara Magomedov Marcus McGhee vs. Petr Yan Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder Individual staff member picks, main card Readers 100–65: De Ridder (56%), Yan (76%), Magomedov (86%), Almabayev (70%), Krylov (52%) Preliminary card picks Although they don't count toward the standings, MMA Junkie staff members still pick the fights on the prelims. Here are the results:
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Where to watch UFC Abu Dhabi: Whittaker vs. de Ridder live stream, start time more for Fight Night card
Robert Whittaker returns to Abu Dhabi looking for a win, while Reinier de Ridder attempts to continue to climb up the ladder in the middleweight division. Here's how to watch UFC Abu Dhabi, including streaming options to catch the preliminaries and the main card. Where to watch UFC Abu Dhabi: Whittaker vs. de Ridder Channel: ABC Live stream: Fubo | ESPN+ The event is on ABC. Cord-cutters can also stream the fight on Fubo, which is currently offering a free trial. Fubo offers a free trial for new subscribers, so you can try the service before you buy. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and 200+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.) Fight fans can also watch UFC Abu Dhabi on ESPN+. Stream over 30,000 live events from the best leagues in the world, including PGA Tour, WNBA, UFC and more. Plus, access the full 30 for 30 library and ESPN Originals featuring the top names in sports. What time is UFC Abu Dhabi on today? Date: Saturday, July 26 Start time: 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. ET prelims) | 12 p.m. PT Location: Etihad Arena - Abu Dhabi, UAE The main card for UFC Abu Dhabi begins at 3 p.m. ET, with the prelims starting at 12 p.m. ET. Whittaker and de Ridder should make their way to the octagon around 6 p.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last. Whittaker (26-8) won the UFC middleweight title in 2017 but lost it against Israel Adesanya in 2019. Since then, he has gone 6-3 in his last nine fights and is 2-2 in his last four. "The Reaper" last fought in October, in Abu Dhabi, with Khamzat Chimaev beating him while dislocating his jaw. The Aussie born in New Zealand wants to hold gold again. However, at 34, he knows he's close to hanging up the gloves. A win against de Ridder would start a path that could potentially end in glory. "Four fights," Whittaker told FOX Sports Australia via MMA Fighting. "I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I want four more, that's me. I see the stepping stones needed to do what I want to do. Four fights gets me into that title shot, gets me into a position to finish on top, to have that fairy tale ending. I'm working towards it." fubo De Ridder (20-2) is a former ONE middleweight and light heavyweight champion. The Dutch fighter is 3-0 with three finishes to start his UFC career, taking out Bo Nickal in May. "The Dutch Knight" returns to Abu Dhabi for the first time in a year, the last fight before entering the octagon. To insert himself into the top five at middleweight, de Ridder looks to make a statement against a former UFC champion. "The pressure is the most important thing for me," De Ridder told MMA Junkie. "I've got to put pressure on him. I've got to bring the heat early because I cannot let him move. I cannot let him see what's happening. I cannot let him play. "He likes to bounce. He likes to look, and I'm sure I'm going to take him down. It's what I like the most, and I have to put him on his ass at least once. But we'll see if I can do damage meanwhile before." UFC Abu Dhabi fight card Main Card Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder; Middleweights Petr Yan vs. Marcus McGhee; Bantamweights Bryce Mitchell vs. Said Nurmagomedov; Bantamweights Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Marc-Andre Barriault; Middleweights Prelims Nikita Krylov vs. Bogdan Guskov; Light Heavyweights Amanda Ribas vs. Tabatha Ricci; Strawweights Muslim Salikhov vs. Carlos Leal; Welterweights İbo Aslan vs. Billy Elekana; Light Heavyweights Martin Buday vs. Marcus Buchecha; Heavyweights Mohammad Yahya vs. Steven Nguyen; Featherweights Davey Grant vs. Da'Mon Blackshear; Bantamweights
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
UFC on ABC 9: Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder odds, picks and predictions
In a 5-round middleweight bout in the main event, Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder meet Saturday at UFC on ABC 9 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The prelims begin at noon ET (ESPN / ESPN+) with the main card at 3 p.m. (ABC / ESPN+). Their fight is expected to start at approximately 5:45 p.m. ET. Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's UFC odds around the UFC on ABC 9: Whittaker vs. de Ridder odds, and make our expert UFC picks and predictions. Records: Whittaker (27-8-0) | de Ridder (20-2-0) Whittaker is looking to bounce back after a Round-1 submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 308 last time out in late October. He is just 3-3 in his past 6 fights, but losses to Chimaev, former division champ Dricus Du Plessis (July 2023) and Israel Adesanya (February 2022) is not embarrassing in the least. Whittaker's last win, 2 fights ago, was a Round-1 KO/TKO win over Ikram Aliskerov in a Fight Night main even in late June 2024. Six of his past 9 bouts went the distance, with 5 wins via unanimous decision and the title fight loss to Adesanya at UFC 271. For de Ridder, he is viewed as a fighter on the rise. Since joining the company, he has 3 consecutive victories. The most impressive might have been a Round-2 knockout of Bo Nickal last time out in early May, handing the prospect his first UFC loss. He also has submission wins over veterans Kevin Holland (Jan. 18, 2025) and Gerald Meerschaert (Nov. 9, 2024), so he hasn't exactly been fighting tomato cans to get to this point. The southpaw de Ridder has a 4.5-inch reach advantage, although Whittaker has a 4.54-to-3.25 significant-strikes-landed-per-minute advantage. The "Dutch Knight" de Ridder, who is from the Netherlands, has been much more accurate with those strikes, though, landing at a blistering 78.66% pace in his 3 bouts with the UFC, as opposed to just 45.99% for Whittaker. He also likes to get the fight to the canvas early and often, posting a 4.74 takedown average, and a 38.89% mark on takedown accuracy, while posting a 1.36 submission average. Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here. UFC on ABC 9: Whittaker vs. de Ridder odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:14 a.m. ET. UFC on ABC 9: Whittaker vs. de Ridder picks and predictions Fight result (2-way line or moneyline) This is going to be a pretty good fight, and it's tough to pick a winner. Whittaker was once on the precipice of a title, but he is just 3-3 in his past 6 fights. He's looking to get a victory here to get back onto the path for another title shot. However, DE RIDDER (+120) is the better value at plus-money. He is on the rise. To get to this point, he disposed of veterans Holland and Meerschaert, while stunning the division with a knockout of previous middleweight golden boy Nickal. de Ridder is a top-notch wrestler, but he also has tremendous punching power, and he can get the job done in a number of ways. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! Over/Under No (-285): "Fight will go the distance" will set you back nearly 3 times the potential return. There's no value there. The only way to excuse laying so much is to toss this into a multi-leg parlay, perhaps of at least 5 or 6 legs. The better value is to take a look at UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS (-105). The past 2 fights against Aliskerov and Chimaev have ended in Round 1 for Whittaker, and he has finished Under 2.5 Rounds in 3 of his past 4 outings. For de Ridder, his past 2 fights have ended prior to the midway point of Round 2, and he has 3 finishes in 3 fights at the UFC level. Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis. For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Daniel Dobish on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.
