Brendson Ribeiro snatched one of the many highlight reel finishes at UFC Vegas 122 on Saturday, along with the accompanying $25,000 bonus. The Brazilian light heavyweight was riding a four fight losing streak going into last Saturday’s fight. But he managed to catch Felipe Franco coming in and submit him with a tight guillotine.
Ribeiro likely saved his roster spot with that win. In his post-fight presser, he talked about something bigger than fighting, though.
‘Gorilla’ revealed that he has a brother who has been missing in northern Brazil for around six months.
“He is my blood bother from my dad’s side,” Ribeiro said (h/t MMA Junkie). “On April 27, in the township that I’m from, the authorities have not said anything. 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.”
Ribeiro added that he and his family think his brother is likely deceased.
“We don’t think that he’s alive anymore,” he said. “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.”
Ribeiro didn’t discuss the circumstances around his brother’s disappearance. No matter how it happened, though, it’s commendable that Ribeiro was able to undergo a fight camp and compete, let alone get a victory, under such circumstances.