Claudio Ribeiro kickstarted UFC 288 earlier tonight (Sat., May 6, 2023) live on ESPN+ PPV from inside Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., when the middleweight power puncher stopped “Ugly Man” Joseph Holmes with a brutal second-round TKO (punches).
Holmes looked good in the early going with a nice takedown and some good clinch work along the fence. However, once Ribeiro found some space on his feet his power took over this fight. Ribeiro clobbered Holmes late into the first and ended up smashing him with heavy ground-and-pound.
Holmes was saved by the bell, but Ribeiro kept things rolling in the second round as he gained top control again and landed heavy punches. “Ugly Man” tried to cover up, but Ribeiro’s shots were getting through. The referee had no choice and had to step in for the TKO stoppage.
Check out the final moments below courtesy of UFC/ESPN:
Ribeiro, 30, failed in his Octagon debut with a knockout loss to Abdul Razak Alhassan back in January. This was a tremendous way to prove his game is improving and that his power is a threat throughout the entire division. After all, Ribeiro has 11 professional wins and all of them are knockouts.
For complete UFC 288 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
