Brendson Ribeiro punched his way into the UFC with a vicious finish.
In the feature bout of Dana White’s Contender Series 61, Ribeiro (15-5) entered the octagon at the UFC Apex as a sizeable underdog against Bruno Lopes (11-1). The light heavyweights promised to bring the violence to convince the Dana White and the matchmakers that they were worthy of a contract, and Ribeiro delivered the TKO finish at 3:47 of Round 1.
Lopes was on the attack but Ribeiro found room to land a brutal right hand, sending the previously undefeated fighter to the canvas. Ribeiro rushed in with heavy hammerfists, putting Lopes out to seal the deal.
Check out video of the finish below (via X):
BRENDSON RIBEIRO CLOSES THE SHOW 🤯
What a knockout to cap off #DWCS Week 5! pic.twitter.com/V0vkFxtkWL
— UFC (@ufc) September 6, 2023
The result was Lopes’ first loss as a professional. Ribeiro overcame the odds and secured his third straight first-round finish.
At the conclusion of the show, Dana White extended a contract offer to Ribeiro, who kept his 100 percent career finishing rate intact.