An undefeated Kazakh fighter makes his UFC debut. Who is his opponent, what makes him dangerous, and how will their fight unfold?
On March 16, a tournament will take place in Las Vegas (Nevada, USA), marking the debut of the undefeated Kazakh light heavyweight (10-0) in the world's premier league. The correspondent reports on his first fight in the American promotion.
UFC Diyar Nurgozhay Vesti.kzThe opponent for 27-year-old Diyar will be 28-year-old Brazilian Brendson Ribeiro (16-7-0-1). These fighters share a lot in common, from competing in Russian leagues to entering the UFC through the Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) .
Nurgozhay's opponent was a champion and fought in Russia
Throughout his career, Ribeiro has fought 24 matches, one of which was deemed a no contest. With 16 victories and seven losses, his record is not flawless. However, it’s worth noting Ribeiro's finishing mentality; he has won 15 out of 16 times by stoppage (nine knockouts and six submissions). Yet, the Brazilian fighter also tends to lose early, with five out of seven losses coming by stoppage (three knockouts and two submissions).
Ribeiro's most notable achievement in nearly a decade-long professional career was winning the championship in the well-known Brazilian promotion Shooto Brazil . In December 2022, he knocked out his opponent in the first round to become champion, but he did not defend the title as he was set for a new phase in his career.
As for earlier experiences, Ribeiro's fights in Russia are of interest. In 2018, he fought in St. Petersburg, where he lost by majority decision to Ukrainian Denis Vygovsky . In February 2022, he was knocked out in 67 seconds by Russian David Barkhudaryan at the Fight Nights tournament in Sochi.
What's wrong with Ribeiro's career in the UFC? It started off brightly
After becoming the Shooto Brazil champion, Ribeiro received a fight on DWCS nine months later for a UFC contract. His opponent was undefeated countryman Bruno Lopes , who at that time had a record of 11-0. Ribeiro knocked out the unbeaten opponent in the first round (by the way, Lopes attempted to break into the UFC again through DWCS in 2024 and succeeded—he will make his debut in the league this week). Following this, there was no option but for the UFC to offer Ribeiro a contract. Much like Nurgozhay, who secured a stunning knockout on DWCS that earned him a contract.
In 2024, he began fighting in the UFC, competing in three bouts within the calendar year. For instance, Diyar fought his last three bouts from August 2022, entering the cage much less frequently.
In February, he appeared at the event in Anaheim (California, USA). His opponent was the Chinese finisher Zhang Mingyang , known for his incredible finishing statistics. To date, Zhang has won 18 fights, all by first-round finishes. This was the case in the fight against Ribeiro: the Chinese fighter caught his opponent in the second minute with a lightning-fast flurry of punches. Brendson lost his UFC debut by knockout.
In June, he stepped into the octagon for the second time, participating in the first-ever event in Saudi Arabia. His opponent was undefeated Russian debutant Magomed Gadjiyasulov , who had a record of 8-0. He also entered the UFC through the Contender Series. Their bout went the full three rounds, and the judges awarded the victory to Magomed by majority decision—29-28, 29-28, 28-28. Thus, Ribeiro started in the UFC with a record of 0-2.
— Mr.Mugen 🤺 (@itsyukinariyo)
WOW!!! ZHANG MINGYANG KNOCKED RIBEIRO SO HARD HE FORGOT WHERE HE WAS 😵
#UFC298 pic.twitter.com/rXwtkwFiF0 February 18, 2024 Magomed GadjiyasulovIn November, the Brazilian faced his compatriot Kaio Machado . They shared three things in common: citizenship, success on DWCS, and receiving contracts there, as well as both being 0-2 in the UFC. It was clear that for one of them, this bout would likely be their last in the promotion. Ribeiro understood that he could not afford to lose.
In this contest, there were no attempts to engage in grappling. The opponents fought standing for 15 minutes, and in each round, based on statistics, Machado outstruck Ribeiro. However, the judges decided that Brendson was the stronger fighter, awarding him a split decision victory—29-28, 28-29, 29-28. Many disagreed with this decision, but nonetheless, Ribeiro secured his first win in the world's top league.
Nurgozhay returns to his favorite arena. Will he "fire" his opponent from the UFC?
Now the fighters will clash at a tournament in Las Vegas, at the UFC Apex arena, which has become iconic for both of their careers. Both secured coveted UFC contracts there. In October, Diyar knocked out Bartosz Szewczyk in that arena, which allowed him to become part of the world's top promotion.
Currently, Ribeiro's background in the UFC is not impressive. He made a striking entry into the league with a beautiful knockout against the undefeated Lopes, but has not showcased his best side within the promotion. He lost by knockout, then had a lackluster fight where he lost to debutant Gadjiyasulov, and finally won by split decision against Machado, but many criticized the verdict as he statistically performed worse.
Therefore, the risk of remaining outside the UFC is quite high for Ribeiro. He has one fight left on his contract, and if he loses to Diyar, it’s unlikely the league will offer him a new deal. Thus, Brendson will be ready to take risks.
As for Diyar, he is also a master of finishes—eight early victories in ten fights. However, in this bout, we are unlikely to see a risk-taking Diyar. When it was necessary to take risks, during the Contender Series, he did so. But now, as he begins his career in the UFC and aims for a long-term contract, he should approach this with thoughts of reliability and a solid reserve. Therefore, Nurgozhay will likely propose a more cautious tactical fight, looking to capitalize on his opponent's mistakes. The resources for this are available to the Kazakh, and even in this approach, he will have chances to finish the fight early.
Moreover, Ribeiro serves as a vivid example for Nurgozhay and other fighters who entered the UFC after a spectacular knockout on DWCS. An example of how to adapt at the beginning of a new career phase. An example of when to take risks and when it’s better to endure first.
It’s noteworthy that Diyar will be the third Kazakh fighter to enter the UFC cage in 2025. In mid-February, welterweight Nikolai Veretennikov (12-5) will have his second fight in the league, and at the beginning of March, flyweight Asu Almatbaeva (21-2) will have his fifth bout in the promotion. Their appearances will also take place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.