Brendson Ribeiro

Overview

Brendson Ribeiro's three UFC wins include two submissions and a split decision, and none came by knockout. That's an odd profile for a 6'3" Light Heavyweight who can't seem to stop getting finished himself.

"The Gorilla" is a Brazilian Light Heavyweight from Belem do Para who trains with Brazilian TKO. His UFC record is 3-6, and four of those six losses ended inside the distance. He carries a one-fight win streak into his next fight, a first-round submission of Felipe Franco.

His all-promotion professional record is 18-11-0, but the UFC chapter has been a fight for survival.

UFC Career

Ribeiro fought his way into the picture on Dana White's Contender Series, where he beat Bruno Lopes by KO/TKO in the first round at 3:47. That fight sits outside his UFC record. His UFC debut came at UFC 298, and it went badly: Zhang Mingyang stopped him in 1:41 of round one.

He followed that with a majority decision loss to Magomed Gadzhiyasulov, then got on the board with a split decision over Caio Machado in November 2024. A second-round submission of Diyar Nurgozhay in March 2025 made it two straight wins. That is the longest streak of his UFC run.

Then the run reversed. Azamat Murzakanov, an opponent our model rates as strong, stopped him in round one at UFC 316. Oumar Sy did the same later that year. Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev submitted him in round one, and Magomed Tuchalov took a unanimous decision. Four losses in a row.

Ribeiro answered with a submission of Felipe Franco in 1:49 of the first round.

Three wins, six losses, and a habit of ending fights early in both directions.

Fighting Style

Ribeiro's output is average. He lands strikes at roughly the UFC average rate and defends them about as well as the typical UFC fighter. His accuracy is worse than average, though he absorbs fewer strikes per minute than most, and that makes the knockout losses hard to square with the raw numbers. The losses mostly came early: three of the four finishes against him ended in round one.

His grappling profile is lopsided. He rarely shoots for takedowns and is taken down far more often than most. He does attempt submissions at a better-than-average rate, and the fight list backs it up. Both of his UFC finishes are submissions, and the Franco win ended in 1:49.

Anyone labeling him a pure striker should note that his UFC wins by submission outnumber his wins by knockout two to zero.

Notable Wins

• Felipe Franco — submission, round 1, UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Duncan (2026)
• Diyar Nurgozhay — submission, round 2, UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs Dolidze 2 (2025)
• Caio Machado — split decision, round 3, UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs Albazi (2024)

Quick Facts

• Division: Light Heavyweight
• UFC record: 3-6
• Professional record (all promotions): 18-11-0
• UFC debut: 2024
• Stance: Orthodox
• Height / reach: 6'3" / 81"
• Team: Brazilian TKO
• Born: Belem do Para, Brazil