Brendson Ribeiro vs Caio Machado — Fight recap

Brendson Ribeiro defeated Caio Machado by split decision after three rounds on November 2, 2024, in a striking-heavy contest that saw both fighters land significant volume without securing takedowns or control time. Ribeiro connected on 49 of 131 significant strikes (37%), distributing his offense across the head (25), body (16), and legs (8), while Machado landed the cleaner shots with 76 of 184 significant strikes (41%) and notably more body work (33 of 47).

Despite Machado's superior striking accuracy and output—landing 19 leg kicks to Ribeiro's eight—the judges favored Ribeiro's precision and efficiency across the three five-minute rounds, with neither fighter attempting takedowns or accumulating meaningful control time. The split decision reflects how closely matched the two lightweights were in a pure striking exchange, suggesting Ribeiro's shot selection proved more effective than Machado's volume in the judges' eyes.