Brendson Ribeiro pleads authorities to help find missing brother after UFC Vegas 122 win

Brendson Ribeiro and his family have been living a nightmare for almost half a year now, and he hopes his UFC Fight Night 290 win serves as a minor distraction. Even if just for one night.

Ribeiro (18-11 MMA, 3-6 UFC) pulled off one of the most unexpected results of Saturday's card when he submitted Felipe Franco (11-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) less than two minutes into their light heavyweight bout at Meta APEX in Las Vegas, snapping his four-fight losing skid.

It was clear from the moment the fight ended that Ribeiro was competing with a heavy heart, because he broke down with emotion immediately afterward. It wasn't the relief of snapping his skid that overcame Ribeiro, however, and instead was something far more personal.

Ribeiro opened up post-fight on the root of his emotion, and it center around the devastation his family is currently enduring after his brother went missing in northern Brazil almost six months ago. Ribeiro said the family presumes his sibling to be dead, but there is no proof or answers at this time. He just wants to know.

"He is my blood bother from my dad's side," Ribeiro told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter post-fight at UFC Fight Night 290. "On April 27, in the township that I'm from, the authorities have not said anything. My family has no voice there. As an athlete that has a platform right now I just want to get it out there for someone to help us. Whether it's the governor or the mayor or the authorities just to help us understand what happened.

"We don't think that he's alive anymore. We just want to understand. Give us some closure on this. Help us. Whether it's his remains. My dad is suffering. The wife is suffering. The brothers are suffering. I just want to make sure people understand we need some closure and some information and hopefully end this nightmare that's haunting the entire family."

Although it's hard to focus on anything but the trauma of his current situation, Ribeiro can also appreciate the sliver of happiness that is brought to his life through the win over Franco.

Ribeiro, 30, had been finished in the first round in three of the four losses on his skid. He bucked the losing trend at UFC Fight Night 290, however, and said it's the price of being written off before entering the octagon.

"The biggest mistake people make is to underestimate me and to count me out," Ribeiro said. "I'm not saying he did that. But a lot of people just don't believe in me and believe that I could do this. I've had so many finishes and a lot of guillotines. This is another guillotine for the belt."

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Brendson Ribeiro pleads authorities to help find missing brother after UFC Vegas 122 win