On the main card of Noche UFC, we saw a lightweight matchup that will be on the shortlist for Fight of the Year. Up and coming lightweight prospects went toe-to-toe as Esteban Ribovics (14-1) took on Daniel Zellhuber (15-2).
Both of these prospects had a lot of hype entering this matchup and they were looking to take another step closer to the lightweight rankings. Ribovics entered the bout having won his last two after losing his octagon debut. Like Ribovics, Zellhuber also lost his first fight inside the octagon, but he had rebounded with three straight entering Saturday night.
The first two rounds was filled with a ton of action and it seemed pretty clear across the board that many had it 1-1 entering the final round. In the final round, Ribovics was dropped early by a Zellhuber elbow. However, shortly after that, Ribovics rocked Zellhuber badly.
He unleashed a hellacious combination and almost emptied the tank trying to get the finish. Somehow, Zellhuber hung in there and was able to see the final bell. Both men swung with everything they had as the fight came to a close and the entire arena stood up on their feet. The two men won Fight of the Night and Ribovics walked away with the split decision win at UFC 306.
What’s next after Noche UFC?
Ribovics had a lot of hype entering the UFC from The Contender Series as an undefeated top prospect for Argentina. While his first loss calmed the waves a bit, he’s done a sensational job bouncing back. Earlier this year, he sparked Terrance McKinney with a head kick in just 37 seconds and now he has this win over Zellhuber.
Now that he’s won three fights in a row, who should he be paired with next? Honestly, I love the idea of Ribovics having another insanely fun matchup with a fellow lightweight contender who fought on Saturday night. That lightweight contender is Ignacio Bahamondes.
Bahamondes lost his UFC debut but has since gone 5-1 including back-to-back first round finishes. These two are likely around the same spot in the lightweight pecking order and I think a fight between these two would be insane. Have them fight just after the start of 2025 and the winner could be on his way to the rankings and beyond next year.