Matchup Spotlight | Brener vs Ribovics

Proudly representing the Chute Boxe Diego Lima team, Elves Brener made his UFC debut two years ago in Perth, where he edged out a split decision victory over Zubaira Tukhugov. 2023 was a strong year for the Brazilian, who managed to get two more fights in that year, earning stoppage wins in both of those outings. His win over Guram Kutateladze saw him nominated for UFC Honors Comeback of the Year award, in addition to getting himself on UFC.com’s list featuring the top Newcomers of 2023.

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After an impressive 2023 campaign, last year wasn’t as good to the lightweight. The Brazilian lost a unanimous decision to Myktybek Orolbai and, in his last outing, he was stopped by Joel Alvarez in the third round. Brener is a threat on the ground, with 11 of his 16 wins ending by submission, but he also has shown his abilities on the feet in his wins over Kutateladze and Kaynan Kruschewsky.

Esteban Ribovics

After earning his UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, Esteban Ribovicsstepped in to face Loik Radzhabov at UFC 285 back in March of 2023. “El Gringo” fell on the wrong side of the scorecards that night, but then went on a tear inside the Octagon, picking up three wins in a row.

Four months after his debut, Ribovics earned a unanimous decision win over Kamuela Kirk. Then, he went on to secure a jaw-dropping first-round knockout over Terrance McKinney, doing so in just 37 seconds. Last September, Ribovics put on a fight for the ages against Daniel Zellhuber. It was so good that UFC CEO Dana White had it as one of his Fight of the Year candidates.

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Saturday’s fight marks the lightweight’s second of the year, after dropping a split decision to Nasrat Haqparast in March. Ribovics’ only losses in his professional career have come inside the Octagon, and despite the two setbacks, the 29-year-old is a thrilling prospect at 155 pounds. 

Both of these lightweight prospects have an average fight time of around 12 minutes, and given their track records, it’s a good guess to say that this one may not need the judges’ scorecards on Saturday night.

Meeting In The Middle

If things play out on the feet, things could favor the Argentinean, who has a high 8.07 strikes landed per minute, compared to Brener’s 3.99. Half of Ribovics’ wins have ended by knockout, one of them being that insane knockout of McKinney last May.When it comes to takedowns and getting things to the mat, the numbers are interesting. Ribovics has a takedown accuracy of 66.7 percent, but Brener’s takedown defense is 76 percent, which could be another reason why this matchup stays standing.

The UFC average for strikes absorbed per minute is 2.5, but that is not the case for Ribovics and Brener, who both average around five strikes absorbed, which is another sign that this fight is one to tune in for and pay attention to, because anything could happen.