Esteban Ribovics: ‘I Just Love Fighting’

“I have learned a lot,” he told UFC.com. “I have learned wrestling. I've learned to be patient. Every time, every fight, my opponents get harder and harder, and that's the way to get to the top, but I am motivated to get to the top, and I’m competing against myself. I want to be better than I was yesterday.”

While topping the thrills from his fight against Zellhuber—a night he deemed “tremendous—is a tall order, he has a willing dance partner in Haqparast. Although Haqparast is only a year older than Ribovics at 29, he is essentially a UFC veteran. Since joining the roster in 2017, he has made the walk 13 times and tallied a 9-4 record, including wins over Jared Gordon, Jamie Mullarkey and Marc Diakiese.

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Ribovics believes Haqparast has a style approach similar to his own, which means fans should wholeheartedly anticipate a back-and-forth affair. The pair boast a combined 17 finishes on their record, and Ribovics himself has scored finishes in all but two of his 14 professional victories.

As far as his own expectations, Ribovics called back to what is becoming his signature phrase.

“What I always say: Bang, bang,” Ribovics said. “You can expect a war that is going to be worth watching and there's going to be a lot of fun. His style is just like mine. I think it’s going to be a great fight for the fans, and I hope he's 100 percent ready because I am ready for this fight.”

Going from fighting in St. Louis and Sphere to the UFC APEX is quite the shift in energy, but it’s all good for Ribovics. He has nothing but “good memories” in the venue after scoring a knockout victory in 90 seconds and earning Dana White’s approval.

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“Being in a small venue and with it a little (quieter), you can feel the punches a little harder,” Ribovics said of the APEX. “I love fighting in front of big crowds, but here, having a small venue, it's a little more intense.

“It doesn't matter if it's in front of a big crowd or a small crowd. I just love fighting.”

The lightweight division is nothing short of one of the deepest and most talented divisions in the organization. From well-established contenders to veterans in and around the rankings, breaking through the pack is among the hardest tasks in the sport.

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However, the 28-year-old Ribovics sees a tangible path to those high-profile names should he take care of business on March 1, snapping Haqparast’s four-fight winning streak and extending his own streak to four.

“A win over him is going to get me closer to my goal this year, which is get into the Top 15,” Ribovics said. “I'm focused on just getting to that Top 15.”