Brendson Ribeiro (2-5 UFC) will face Magomed Tuchalov (6-0, making his UFC debut) at UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25. The bout will take place at light heavyweight. Tuchalov is a graduate of the Kstovo sports school in sambo and won the 2019 World MMA Championship. In his professional career, all of his victories have come in the first or second round, and he is the current UAE Warriors champion.
Unbeaten sambo specialist Magomed Tuchalov will step into the UFC for the first time when he meets Brendson Ribeiro at UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25, with both men competing at light heavyweight.
Tuchalov enters the promotion on a perfect 6-0 professional record, having never been taken past the second round in any of his bouts. A product of the Kstovo sports school — one of Russia's most respected combat sports academies — he claimed the 2019 World MMA Championship title and arrives in the UFC as the reigning UAE Warriors champion, giving him significant regional pedigree ahead of his debut.
Ribeiro, known as "The Gorilla," is a 29-year-old Brazilian out of Brazilian TKO who stands six-foot-three with an 81-inch reach. He carries a professional record of 17-10 and owns a 2-5 mark inside the UFC. Fighting out of an orthodox stance, he averages 3.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy, and also shows a willingness to mix in the grappling game, averaging 0.85 takedowns and 0.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Tuchalov's undefeated record and finishing ability make this an immediate litmus test for his UFC ceiling at 205 pounds.
- Ribeiro's size — 191 cm with a 206 cm reach — and multi-dimensional game will present a stern first-night examination for the debuting Russian.
- A win for Tuchalov would announce him as a credible newcomer in a light heavyweight division always hungry for emerging talent; a win for Ribeiro would help stabilize his UFC standing after a difficult run.
