Ribeiro snaps four-fight skid at UFC Vegas 122, then pleads for answers on missing brother

Brendson Ribeiro ended a four-fight losing streak at UFC Vegas 122 on Saturday, submitting Felipe Franco (11-3) with a guillotine choke at Meta Apex in Las Vegas — then used the post-fight platform for something far more personal than celebrating a victory.

Speaking through an interpreter at the post-fight news conference, an emotional Ribeiro (18-11, 1 NC) revealed that his brother has been missing since April 27 in the Brazilian township where the family is from. Nearly six months on, he said local authorities have provided no answers.

“He is my blood brother from my dad’s side,” Ribeiro said. “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 said the family has largely given up hope that his brother is still alive, but is desperate for any information that could bring closure. He made a direct appeal to officials and the public alike.

“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.”

The win over Franco was Ribeiro’s first in the UFC since snapping a run of four consecutive defeats, a result that would ordinarily have been the defining moment of his night. Instead, the 34-year-old fighter made clear that the result mattered far less than the message he needed to deliver.