Diyar Nurgozhay had his big debut lined up against Brendson Ribeiro at UFC Vegas 104 on Saturday marred, after missing weight a day earlier.
The light heavyweight missed the mark by a full 4.5 pounds, resulting in a 210.5lb catchweight, and was probably thanking his lucky stars that the bout moved forward at all. Or maybe not, as the undefeated prospect did not have the debut he was hoping for.
Ribeiro opened the fight with a powerful outside leg kick, while Nurgozhay’s kicks were telegraphed, allowing Ribeiro to catch them effectively. Nurgozhay relied heavily on feints early on but struggled to commit to his strikes. Known more for his wild style, Ribeiro remained composed, selecting his shots with precision. He even dropped Nurgozhay with a clean straight right following a jab. Despite having the opportunity to push for the finish, Ribeiro chose to let Nurgozhay recover and get back to his feet. Nurgozhay’s hands were slow, his strikes easily readable. Ribeiro finished the round strong, landing a solid body kick followed by a knee to the head.
In need of a better round Nurgozhay started the second frame with a takedown thirty seconds in. After a poor attempt to avoid the takedown, Ribeiro went after a kimura to sweep and submit Nurgozhay impressively.
Official Result: Brendson Ribeiro def. Diyar Nurgozhay by submission (kimura), Round 2, 1:28
