“To actually be sharing the card with “Chino” is a very seminal moment — we’re reunited, and when we’re together, we’re stronger. I’m gonna have Francisco Prado in my corner, and then Ailin is probably gonna be here as well to support Vallejos, and Santiago is gonna be on commentary, so we’re gonna be five people; we’re gonna have everybody together. I don’t think anybody can stop us with five people in the room on Saturday.
“The energy is at a very high level to have everyone together and have him on commentary,” continued Ribovics, the smile on his face growing wider the more he spoke about having all five Argentinian fighters on the roster in the building this weekend. “I was already with Francisco and Kevin yesterday — you can feel the energy.
Watch UFC BJJ 2: Tackett vs Canuto, Live And Free Thursday On YouTube
“It’s hard to describe it, but I can tell you one thing: to have everybody under the same roof, a great level of energy, the celebration will be even greater.”
As excited as he is to be a part of this moment, sharing the card with someone you’re close to — or a sibling — can often create challenges for whomever is poised to make the walk second, as Ribovics will do when he faces off with Brener.
We’ve seen siblings and teammates wrestle with the idea of watching their family members and training partners compete ahead of them — some benefitting by getting pumped up watching them shine, others faltering a little themselves after seeing them stumble first. It’s a natural thing to be impacted by seeing someone you’re close with go through such a visceral experience, whether good or bad, but Ribovics said that he’s simply looking at Vallejos’ fight earlier in the night against Silva as added motivation, no matter the outcome.
