Brendson Ribeiro had barely gotten the weight of a four-fight losing streak off his back when he broke down in tears inside the UFC Octagon. But the Brazilian fighter’s biggest battle had nothing to do with fighting. His brother has been missing for nearly six months, and the Brazilian is now begging authorities back home to tell his family what the hell happened.
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His brother, Eduardo, disappeared in northern Brazil on April 27, and his family is still desperately searching for answers. Speaking to the press after the fight through an interpreter, ‘The Gorilla’ revealed that local authorities had given his family no meaningful answers.
With his brother still missing and his family feeling helpless, the 30-year-old decided to use the spotlight that comes with being a UFC fighter to make a public plea. He called on everyone from local officials to the governor to help his family find out what happened.
“He is my blood brother from my dad’s side. On April 27, in the township that I’m from, the authorities have not said anything,” he said in the post-fight presser. “My family has no voice there. As an athlete that has a platform right now, I just want to get it out there for someone to help us.
“Whether it’s the governor or the mayor or the authorities just to help us understand what happened.”
Things are even more heartbreaking for Brendson Ribeiro’s family. ‘The Gorilla’ fighter admitted they no longer believe his missing brother is alive, but with no confirmation of what happened, they’re still stuck in a nightmare with no end in sight. At this point, they’re not even asking for a miracle. They just want answers.
The Brazilian made it clear that the uncertainty has taken a brutal toll on everyone, from his father to his brother’s wife and the rest of the family. Whether it means finding his brother alive or recovering his remains, they need to know what happened after nearly six months of waiting.
“We don’t think that he’s alive anymore,” he continued. “We just want to understand. Give us some closure on this. Help us. Whether it’s his remains. My dad is suffering. The wife is suffering. The brothers are suffering.
“I just want to make sure people understand we need some closure and some information and hopefully end this nightmare that’s haunting the entire family.”
Getting back in the win column was huge for Brendson Ribeiro, but no win can make up for what his family has been going through. His brother is still missing, his loved ones are desperate for answers, and nearly six months later, they’re no closer to knowing what happened. Now, ‘The Gorilla’ is hoping his UFC platform can finally get the right people to listen and help his family find the closure they’ve been begging for.
Brendson Ribeiro snaps four-fight losing streak with first-round submission
Brendson Ribeiro had plenty of pressure on his shoulders heading into UFC Fight Night 290. The Brazilian was riding a brutal four-fight losing streak, with three of those losses ending by first-round stoppage. He badly needed a win, but even fight week threw another problem his way when he missed weight on Friday.
Things weren’t exactly ideal for the 30-year-old, who had stepped in to face Felipe Franco on just two weeks’ notice. With his UFC run hanging in the balance, he needed to make this opportunity count. And when Franco went for a takedown in the opening round, ‘The Gorilla’ spotted his chance to turn things around.
Brendson Ribeiro locked Franco’s neck in a guillotine choke, instantly turning his opponent’s attempt to take the fight to the ground into a nightmare.
Felipe Franco had nowhere to go and the fight was over in the first round. Just like that, Ribeiro snapped his four-fight losing streak and finally had something to smile about. Given everything he has been dealing with outside the Octagon, the win couldn’t have come at a more important time.
Brendson Ribeiro owned up to missing weight when he spoke to Michael Bisping after the fight. The Brazilian thanked the UFC for giving him the opportunity and apologized for failing to hit the limit, pointing out that he had only two weeks to prepare for the bout.
“Thank you to UFC,” Ribeiro said through an interpreter. “I want to apologize for not making the weight. I took it on two weeks’ notice, so it was an important thing coming out with a win.”
But ‘The Gorilla’ wasn’t done sending a message. After snapping his losing streak, he took a shot at everyone who had already counted him out. He stopped short of accusing Franco of underestimating him but made it clear that plenty of people had lost faith in what he could do.
“The biggest mistake people make is to underestimate me and to count me out,” he said. “I’m not saying he did that. But a lot of people just don’t believe in me and believe that I could do this.
“I’ve had so many finishes and a lot of guillotines. This is another guillotine for the belt.”
Ribeiro has silenced some of his doubters with a timely finish, but his message after the fight showed that there’s far more to his story than a losing streak or a comeback win. For now, ‘The Gorilla’ can take pride in proving his critics wrong while hoping his plea reaches those who can help his family.