TLDR
- Esteban Ribovics knocked out King Green in the first round at UFC 332 on October 3 in Salt Lake City
- Ribovics missed weight, sparking a heated confrontation between both camps before ceremonial weigh-ins
- Professional boxer Arnold Barboza Jr. was involved in the altercation as part of Green’s team
- Green allegedly pushed Ribovics while his team surrounded the Argentine fighter
- Ribovics calls it his most satisfying victory after experiencing bullying tactics for the first time in his career
Sources: sherdog.com | sports.yahoo.com
Esteban Ribovics says his first-round knockout of King Green at UFC 332 was the most satisfying victory of his career after the opponent’s team tried to bully him before the fight.
The Argentine lightweight stopped Green on October 3 in Salt Lake City with a dominant performance. Ribovics knocked down the veteran fighter three times before referee Herb Dean stopped the bout in the first round.
The 17-3 fighter faced off against Green, who holds a record of 36-18-1 with one no contest. But the tension between the two camps started well before they entered the octagon.
“That's what I want: a knockout.”
Esteban Ribovics was happy to score his second KO in as many months and hopes to face a top-10 lightweight in 2027. #UFC332
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Official Scorecards: https://t.co/UcUX56yEbN pic.twitter.com/NgtNduCshG
— UFC News (@UFCNews) October 4, 2026
Weight Miss Sparks Confrontation
Problems began when Ribovics narrowly missed weight for the catchweight bout. His team then clashed with Green’s entourage before the ceremonial weigh-ins, which included professional boxer Arnold Barboza Jr.
Ribovics spoke to Hablemos MMA in Spanish about what happened during the heated exchange. “Yeah, you can say it’s the most satisfying victory of my career because this was the first time they tried to bully me and treat me disrespectfully,” he said.
The fighter explained that he confronted Barboza first when tensions escalated. That’s when Green stepped in and physically pushed Ribovics, according to the Argentine.
“They don’t need to touch me and surrounded us with his team,” Ribovics said. “That’s when respect flew out the window.”
Street Fight Challenge Issued
The situation grew more intense when Green’s team allegedly challenged Ribovics to fight outside the official event. “They tried to bully me and tried to be the bad boys,” Ribovics explained.
According to the fighter, Green’s team suggested they could settle things in the streets instead of waiting for the official bout. “They were saying we could fight here in the streets. Come on, man. Shut up,” Ribovics recalled.
Ribovics said he told them to either be quiet or continue talking during the confrontation. He doesn’t remember his exact words but made it clear he wasn’t backing down from the attempted intimidation.
The pre-fight drama made the victory even sweeter for the Argentine fighter. He had never experienced that level of disrespect from an opponent’s team before in his mixed martial arts career.
Green brought a much longer resume into the fight with 55 professional bouts compared to Ribovics’s 20. The veteran has competed at the highest levels of the sport for years.
But experience didn’t help Green when the cage door closed. Ribovics dominated from the opening bell and dropped Green multiple times before the stoppage.
The physical altercation before weigh-ins involved multiple people from both camps. Barboza, a professional boxer with no official connection to the UFC fight, was present as part of Green’s support team.
Ribovics said the incident crossed a line when Green pushed him and the group surrounded him. He viewed this as an attempt to intimidate him before their scheduled bout.
The fighter competed at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City, which took place on October 3. The event featured multiple fights on the card beyond the Ribovics-Green matchup.
