LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] is no stranger to UFC Fight Night 232 opponent Luana Pinheiro. In fact, they have quite a history together.
Ribas (12-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) and Pinheiro (11-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) will meet on Saturday’s main card at the UFC Apex in a strawweight bout that streams on ESPN+. It will be a reunion of sorts between the Brazilians, who during their formative years were housemates at a youth athletes club in Belo Horizonte.
“It’s fun because I lived with her when I was young,” Ribas told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 232 media day. “The same house, athlete house with 26 girls. Not just fighters, but players of volleyball, swimming too. Now we see each other, too, and fight with each other. It’s crazy, but good crazy. Now I’m here, and she’s here too, so it’s nice.”
Ribas can appreciate the fact she and Pinheiro came from a similar corner of the globe and will now be fighting on MMA’s biggest stage under the bright lights of Las Vegas. Ribas is among the most outwardly positive personalities on the UFC roster, but even she knows that when the cage door closes, it can’t be all love.
After going 2-3 in her past five fights, Ribas needs to get back on track. She is returning to strawweight at UFC Fight Night 232, and she hopes that creates an “intense, aggressive” version of herself against Pinheiro.
“I am extremely professional – I look at her as my opponent who wants to take my prize,” Ribas said. “So I see her like this now. After the fight, OK, we can enjoy Vegas or do a lot of things.”
Ribas, 30, is coming off a Fight of the Night loss to Maycee Barber in June. Prior to that, she beat Viviane Araujo by unanimous decision in March.
Saturday will mark the first time Ribas has stepped into the octagon three times in a calendar year, and although she’s coming off a loss, expects the general activity will enhance her performance.
“This is amazing for me because this is the first time I will do three fights in a year. This is awesome. My goal is going to go to the top, and I hope next year I can do three fights, too, or maybe four. As a professional athlete, I think we need to be more active.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 232.