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Esteban Ribovics | Highlight Hunter
Argentine Lightweight Esteban Ribovics Has Plotted A Route To The Top, And He Plans To Pick Up As Many Highlights As Possible Along The Way.
Sometimes fights just leap off the page when they’re announced, and you just know that you’re going to see something fun. Esteban Ribovics’ upcoming bout with King Green at UFC 332 is one of those fights. If you’re unsure, just ask “El Gringo,” and he’ll tell you himself.
“As soon as I got the call, I thought, ‘Let's go! I got no injuries. I'm ready to go. I still have a couple of weeks. Let's do this!’ he grinned. “I think it's going to be good. And I expected to get somebody younger to fight, but I think that, amongst the veterans, he is the best one, in my opinion. So I think it's going to be a great fight, a very exciting one.”
Ribovics has made exciting fights his stock-in-trade throughout his UFC career. Whether it’s jaw-dropping knockouts like his head-kick finish of Terrance McKinney, or his back-and-forth wars that go all the way to the scorecards, like his victories over Daniel Zellhuber and Elves Brener, Ribovics knows how to entertain.
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Last time out, Ribovics found himself sharing the Octagon with a legend as he defeated Edson Barboza via second-round TKO to send the Brazilian into retirement on a loss.
Esteban Ribovics Overwhelms Edson Barboza For Round 2 TKO | UFC 330
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Esteban Ribovics Overwhelms Edson Barboza For Round 2 TKO | UFC 330
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The Argentine admitted there was a bittersweet feeling at the bout’s conclusion, as he balanced his personal elation with winning against the raw emotion of seeing one of the most respected vets of his division bow out after a defeat.
“It was a great fight, and I was sad at the same time because I wouldn't have expected him to retire then,” he said. “I wish I had fought him years back, at his best, but at the end of the day, fights are fights. I put myself on this path of just fighting, right? So I'll get into fights, and whenever called upon, I'll do it.”
MORE UFC 332: Fighters On The Rise | Coach Conversation | Fight By Fight Preview
Ribovics faces another vet at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City, where he’ll take on Green, who will be making the walk for his 55th professional fight. Green loves to stand in front of opponents and test his striking, and his opponents’ chins, with his own special brand of hand-to-hand combat. Ribovics is excited to pit his own fighting style against his on Saturday night.
“‘Bang Bang’ goes with ‘Bang Bang,’” he said. “We're gonna go for it all. There’s gonna be no fear, just pushing forward, just making him miss, making him make mistakes, putting some pressure on until he breaks, and at one point he's gonna give up.”
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Ribovics has Green well-scouted and knows the lightweight vet’s career well. After his highlight-reel knockout loss to Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 313, Green has gone on a remarkable four-fight win streak that includes victories over Lance Gibson Jr, Daniel Zellhuber, Jeremy Stephens, and Terrance McKinney.
“After that loss, he's racked up a couple of wins, and I've watched the [last] three wins,” said Ribovics. “One of them was against Zellhuber, and obviously the [form] of Zellhuber was not that great, but [Green] got that win against Terrance McKinney. I'm not going to say that he dominated the fight. I mean, McKinney was winning, and then he just basically found him. He connected. He found him in the body, and you know there was a mistake there, and he was able to connect at that point. He got him, so I can't even say that he dominated that fight. But it was a great fight.”
Ribovics wants to make it all the way to the elite level of the UFC lightweight division and sees victory over Green as his passport to the next tier at 155 pounds.
READ: A Viewer's Guide To UFC 332
“The goal is always the same – it’s to be at the top. That's where I want to be. That’s what I work for,” he said. “I think that a fight like this can propel me up there. The top is where I deserve to be. It’s what I work for, and that's where I'm going to be. I can see myself fighting at the top of the division in the next year, and then, within two years, I’ll be fighting for a championship.”
UFC 332: Silva vs Wang took place live from Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 3, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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