Both Ivan and his brother Dejan Ribać were members of Serbia's national boxing team. Ivan participated several international boxing events, including the 2004 European Amateur Boxing Championships in Pula, Croatia, where he scored victories over world amateur champion John Dovi and Olympic medalist Rudolf Kraj. His boxing career was ultimately cut short by a broken arm. He subsequently became the director of Serbia's department for the suppression of smuggling, and in September 2018 he was appointed as an assistant director in customs administration.