Norselton Rosepov wasn’t necessarily the fighter with all the hype behind him heading into UFC Vegas 76, but there will be plenty of eyes on him now.
Tackling highly prospect Brunno Ferreira on Saturday, Ruziboev didn’t look any less afraid of the spotlight as he opened the main card of the UFC Apex. Standing at 6-foot-5, Ruziboev definitely had the height and reach advantage, which paid off in a big way after he caught a kick from Ferreira and then countered it with a straight right hand down the middle.
The punch hit Ferreira in the jaw and sent him to the canvas in a heap. Rouzepov followed with some vicious floor strikes to cap off his night, with the referee stopping the bout just 1:17 into the opening round.
Then, Ruziboev fought back tears after his first win in the UFC after spending a 40-year fighting career just waiting for the opportunity.
“I have been waiting for this for 10 years,” said Rusiboev after the victory. “This is huge for me. I think God is for everything.”
Coming into the fight, Ferreira was riding high after pulling off an upset of his own with a knockout against Gregory Rodriguez in his Octagon debut in January. It was stopped by Ruziboev after he caught Ferreira’s attempted kick and then delivered the shot that led to the finish.
Ruziboev is a very exciting addition to the UFC’s middleweight division, especially if he can build on this win during his sophomore effort at the promotion.