Athletes
Amanda Ribas: One of A Kind
Brazilian Talent Talks First Main Event, Facing Rose Namajunas This Weekend
Amanda Ribas truly is one of a kind.
A frenetic bundle of positive energy and good vibes, the ever-smiling Brazilian is the only fighter on the UFC roster ranked in two divisions. Others have popped up in a second weight class from time to time over the years, but often fall out quickly, returning to their more familiar surroundings and abandoning the second division.
But Ribas legitimately splits her time between strawweight and flyweight, and maintains a Top 10 position in each, a fact that makes the effervescent competitor giddy when mentioned.
“When you said that to me, I was like, ‘AH!’” said Ribas, shaking with exaggerated excitement as we discussed her achievement ahead of her main event showdown with Rose Namajunas this weekend in Las Vegas. “I feel really good to be able to do that, and I’m not just ranked — I’m ranked in the Top 10; seventh in one division and eighth in the other one.
“Thank God and I hope I can still keep doing better and better, because it’s awesome.”
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At this point, trying to pin down where the 30-year-old talent will compete next is a complete crap shoot, as each time she registers a key victory and declares her intention to stick around one weight class, an opportunity she can’t pass up presents itself in the other, and she make the shift.
Rise Of Amanda Ribas
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Rise Of Amanda Ribas
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Such is the case this weekend with her fight against Namajunas.
Last November, Ribas returned to strawweight after three consecutive appearances in the 125-pound weight class, weathering an early assault from fellow Brazilian Luana Pinheiro before rallying to register a third-round stoppage win with a spinning wheel kick. Following the contest, she hopped on the mic and declared, “Strawweight — I’m back! Show (me some) respect!”
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Four months later, she’ll make her 2024 debut back at flyweight.
“At 115, I need to do a really hard diet because I cut a little bit, so I train more adaptive for my diet,” began Ribas, explaining what goes into her floating between the two weight classes. “At flyweight, I feel more free to do a strong camp and still eat because I do my diet closer to the fight.
“We study the rankings a lot, principally my dad, and who has fights. We’re always studying who has this fight, and maybe they want to fight, so we can talk to the UFC about all the opportunities we can make. We’re always putting some names to the UFC because I know they have a lot of fighters, so we need to do our job, too.
Main Event Spotlight | UFC Fight Night: Ribas vs Namajunas
“It’s a lot of studying and (finding) opportunities,” she added with a smile. “I know (matchmaker Mick Maynard) has too much to think about, so it’s good to make his job more easy.”
When it came to figuring out her first fight of the year, agreeing to this weekend’s matchup was easy.
Namajunas is one of the most decorated and respected names in the sport — a two-time strawweight titleholder who ventured to flyweight for the first time last September. Although she landed on the wrong side of the cards in her clash with French contender Manon Fiorot, “Thug Rose” didn’t look out of place up a division, and has opted to stick around at 125 pounds going forward.
Presented with the combination of facing the former champion and headlining for the first time in her UFC career, Ribas, who was thrilled to be the co-main event for the first time in her last outing, jumped at the opportunity as soon as it was presented.
“Imagine a poster like this, but MY FACE!” she said, unable to contain her excitement while pointing to the sgned posters hanging framed on the wall behind her. “Since my first time I signed posters in the UFC, I’ve imagined my face there, and now I will sign my face. I’m really happy; it’s the beginning of the dream.
“My dad said to me one time, ‘If you want to be a legend, you have to (beat) one,’” she continued, shifting her focus to Namajunas. “This gives me more fire to win because I want to be a legend; a good example, a legend. This gives me a lot of fire.
“I know Rose is really good, really tough, but I know I am, too. I feel I can beat her, with all respect.
“She was a champion, but it is my time now.”
While outcomes will determine whether Ribas ascends to the top of either division she competes in or not, one thing that will never be in question is the heart and tenacity the talented fighter from Varginha brings to the Octagon every time out.
If her trademark outside of the cage is being bubbly and positive, her signature look inside the cage is one where she is locked in and often covered in blood; either her own or that of her opponent. There is absolutely no quit in the forward-pushing fighter, who is more than happy to wade into the fire and mix things up, even if means eating a few heavy blows and leaking crimson on the canvas.
“(I get it) from my family; my family is a warrior family,” Ribas said when asked about her doggedness inside the Octagon. “My mom and my dad, they come from a house with no structure.
“They are truly warriors, so I bring this for myself. I know I have all the structure they didn’t have, and I am a warrior because of them.”
And the warrior is acutely aware that a victory on Saturday could potentially open the door to some big opportunities in the back half of the year.
“(Beating Rose) will mean a lot for me because the camp has not been easy, and I have a purpose in this fight, too,” began Ribas, grinning a mischievous grin. “That means I can go to the belt or, maybe we can do a BMF (title) as women because we don’t have it.
“We can show that we don’t need to be a bad girl to be a BMF — we need to be a BMF, a warrior, and all my fights I do, I am a warrior.”
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While she was quick to throw out the idea, she’s not yet overly prepared to name names when it comes to potential opponents, because there is only one thing on her mind heading into the weekend.
“There are a lot of names because the women in the UFC — I love to watch them!” she said, beaming. “Before I became a UFC fighter, I was a fan.
“But now, what I have in my mind is Rose. I don’t have names now because it’s Rose, Rose, Rose; all the time, Rose.”
UFC Fight Night: Ribas vs Namajunas took place on March 23, 2024 live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. See the final Prelim and Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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