Who is Brendson Ribeiro?

UFC 298 takes place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA on Saturday, Feb. 17, and it is a stacked card of epic proportions. Headlined by the featherweight title bout between Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria, this event also produces the opportunity for new names to emerge within the promotion.

One such name is Brendson Ribeiro, who will make his promotional debut at the event. At just 27 years old, Ribeiro finds himself signed to the UFC and hopes to contribute to the rich history of the Brazilian legacy in the UFC.

Born in Marituba, Para in Brazil, Ribeiro quickly found himself enveloped in combat sports. With a professional career dating back to mid-2015, Ribeiro has fought at several regional promotions in Brazil, even getting Shooto Brasil gold shortly before signing with the UFC.

Ribeiro is a dominant force in the light heavyweight division, having started and remained within the 205-pound weight limit. In eight years as a fighter, Ribeiro has gotten a 15-win, 5-loss record with one no-contest finish.

Following an invitation to partake in season seven of Dana White's Contender Series, Ribeiro would make the most of the opportunity and win his fight via first-round knockout. That evening, Ribeiro officially joined the UFC as he received a contract to be a part of the promotion's ranks.

Brendson Ribeiro is ready to add a chapter to the UFC's rich Brazilian history

Ribeiro was meant to be in action on the UFC Vegas 83 card but, following the event being changed from China to the UFC APEX, his opponent would not be able to make it. This resulted in the bout being canceled and now, just over two months later, the match will finally take place.

Ribeiro's opponent will be Road to UFC season one competitor, Zhang Mingyang. Hailing from China, Mingyang also hopes to continue the lineage of Chinese athletes in the UFC, and the two clash at UFC 298.

Ribeiro and Mingyang will meet in a light heavyweight bout that will serve as the prelim card curtain-raiser. On a night that will see several promotional debuts, Ribeiro will look to be the breakout star that steals the show.

The nation of Brazil has a very rich history in the UFC and mixed martial arts overall, and the UFC 298 stage will be where Ribeiro looks to add his own chapter to it.