Esteban Ribovics defeats Thomas Paull with first round KO

Esteban Ribovics said Dana White’s Contender Series 50 was only the start of the brutality he intends to bring to the UFC lightweight class.

Ribovics just required 90 seconds to defeat Thomas Paull and advance to 11-0 in his professional career, as well as secure a UFC contract. Esteban Ribovics led a lot of action at the start of the match. But Thomas Paull didn’t give up easily. He fired back, causing a scramble that ended with a blow to the groin that stopped the fight. Once the battle began, Ribovics continued up where he left off and finished the bout by knocking out Paull.

Ribovics delivered a devastating right hand that faceplanted Paull, opening up a laceration over his right eye. Jason Herzog halted the bout at 1:30 into the first round after Ribovics landed a couple follow-up blows.

Ribovics said he enjoys the style of one particular competitor in a division full of action-packed combatants and would not mind sharing the octagon with him eventually.

“In the division there are a lot of good people,” Ribovics stated. “I really like Fiziev. So, I’ve actually trained with Fiziev in Florida, and I was able to see him there, and I like what he does. The leg movement and how he moves around, I just think it would be a good fight, but it doesn’t matter at the end of the day. You’re gonna get that from me at any rate, so whoever they put in front of me, that’s what you’re gonna get from me.”

Make that a perfect 11-0 for Esteban Ribovics 💪 #DWCS pic.twitter.com/eX8F1ZBqpS

— UFC (@ufc) August 17, 2022

“In the weigh-ins, I did say that this is what I was gonna do,” Ribovics remarked to reporters.“I was gonna do something to really get something out of Dana, and a promise made was a promise kept, and I got it.

He stated, “That is my style. I promise it’s gonna be like this, and I promise it’s gonna be even more impressive every single time.”

RIGHT ON THE BUTTON 🎯 #DWCS pic.twitter.com/2h9sXjHN7e

— UFC (@ufc) August 17, 2022

Dana White Contender Series results :

• Esteban Ribovics defeated Thomas Paull via [KO]
• Claudio Ribeiro defeated Ivan Valenzuela via [KO]
• Jose Johnson defeated Jack Cartwright via [unanimous decision]
• Hailey Cowan defeated Claudia Leite via [split decision]
• Nazim Sadykhov defeated Ahmad Hassanzada via [KO]

All five fighters received contracts.