Esteban Ribovics seems to have a thing for wild wars in the Octagon, as he delivered another at UFC Vegas 108, once again earning a decision win as he bested Elvis Brener.
Ribovics started strong in round one, stuffing takedowns and delivering heavy strikes. Ribovics was being aggressive with his combination, though Brener had his own bursts of offense, including a series of leg kicks.
Brener came alive in the second, landing clean head kicks and working his own combinations. His aggression helped to open a cut over one of Ribovics’ eyes and briefly stunned Ribovics with a body kick and flurry.
The two came out swinging in the third round, with Ribovics pushing the pace more thanks to brutal combinations and working the body. Brener never backed down, however, landing flashy strikes that included a spinning wheel kick.
Ribovics ended up attempting more than 300 significant strikes over the course of the three rounds, landing approximately 150 of them. He also defended all nine of Brener’s takedown attempts.
Esteban Ribovics Wins Slugest vs. Elvis Brener At UFC Vegas 108
Ribovics has now won four of five. This is his second straight victory that has come in slugfest fashion, having defeat Daniel Zellhuber at Noche UFC 2: UFC 306 in a bout that earned Fight of the Year honors for 2024.
In perhaps one of the most competitive and thrilling fights that we’ll see in the UFC this year, Esteban Ribovics managed to just narrowly eke out a victory over Daniel Zellhuber at Noche UFC 306.
The fight was even throughout, with both men seemingly equal in their striking and damage. Both men displayed high-level striking, trading with one another throughout as momentum and advantage continuously shifted over the course of their 15 minutes of battle.
The third round proved to be the most intense and thrilling, starting with Zellhuber dropping Ribovics in the opening minute.
Then, about a minute or so later, Ribovics landed a right hook that wobbled Zellhuber, with Ribovics nearly finishing him against the fence — but Zellhuber fought back and managed to survive.
Ultimately, neither man swept the scorecards in any of the three rounds. Ribovics, however, managed to just score a split decision.
Esteban Ribovics Narrowly Defeats Daniel Zellhuber In Fight Of The Year Contender
Run it back immediately and push the rest of the card back #UFCNoche
“Golden Boy” earned his spot in the UFC with a commanding unanimous decision victory over Lucas Almeida on Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2021. However, his promotional debut a year later didn’t unfold as planned, as he suffered the sole defeat of his professional career at the hands of Trey Ogden.
Despite this setback, the 25-year-old Mexican rebounded impressively, stringing together a three-fight win streak. Most recently, Zellhuber secured a decisive victory over Francisco Prado at UFC Fight Night in Mexico this past February.
Noche UFC 306 offers Zellhuber a prime opportunity to steal the spotlight as he aims to ascend the ranks of the highly competitive lightweight division, with his sights set on securing a title shot in the near future…
Zellhuber Sets Sights On Veterans To Break Into Lightweight Rankings
During a recent interview on Verse Us with Eric Nicksick, “Golden Boy” shared his aspirations for the future, emphasizing that a potential victory over Ribovics at Noche UFC 306 could serve as the launch pad for his rapidly rising career.
“I always have a plan with the team where I wanted to take my time,” Zellhuber said. “But again, now that I’m more confident in my skill set and more comfortable fighting and, you know, doing all these things, growing as an athlete, I feel that this fight is my way to put the entire 155-pound division on notice. I want to win this fight, and after that, I want a former top 15 opponent, like somebody who was already in the rankings.”
Zellhuber further expressed his desire to face seasoned divisional veterans like Michael Johnson or Bobby Green as his pathway to breaking into the rankings. Afterward, the DWCS graduate aims to take on highly ranked contenders by 2026, with the ultimate goal of challenging for the lightweight title in 2027.
“I have Michael Johnson on my mind, even Bobby Green. It’s funny because I talk with Chase Hooper on Instagram. I texted him like, ‘Hey, you want to fight?’ and he answered me. Then it’s funny because we ended up being kind of like friends. I was trying to talk bullsh*t, but it didn’t work. I want one of those guys who was already there but is recently coming out [of rankings]. Then, by the end of next year, I want to fight a top 15 opponent, and start 2026 with a top 10, close the year with a top five, and then in 2027, a championship fight. I like to have everything planned. I feel that’s also why I’m being successful in my career because I don’t like to do things just like, ‘Yeah, let’s do this.’”
