In a women’s flyweight bout on the main card, Amanda Ribas and Maycee Barber meet Saturday at UFC on ABC 5 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC on ABC 5: Ribas vs. Barber odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.
The prelims are on ESPN/ESPN+ at 11:30 a.m. ET, with the main card on ABC/ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET.
Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.
Ribas has alternated wins and losses in each of her previous 5 bouts. She bounced back from a split-decision loss to Katlyn Chookagian in mid-May 2022 to pick up a unanimous-decision win over Viviane Araujo at UFC 285 in March.
The 29-year-old Brazilian has ended up going the distance in 5 of her past 7 fights since a submission win in her UFC debut over Emily Whitmire in late June 2019.
Barber takes the walk to the octagon with a 4-bout win streak in tow. That includes a split-decision win over Andrea Lee last time out on March 25.
Each of Barber’s past 6 fights have ended up going the distance, including a February 2021 loss to Alexa Grasso, the new No. 1 ranked pound-for-pound women’s fighter after the retirement of Amanda Nunes. The last time Barber had a fight finish inside the distance was a 1st-round KO/TKO win over Gillian Robertson in late 2019.
Ribas has a slight 1-inch reach advantage, while Barber stands 2 inches taller. The significant strikes margin goes to Ribas at 4.80-to-4.27, while the difference is rather negligible in terms of significant strike-accuracy percentage. Ribas is a little better in the takedown department, leading 2.16-to-1.23, while also posting a 52.0% takedown-accuracy percentage to just 37.04% for Barber.
UFC on ABC 5: Ribas vs. Barber odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 4:23 a.m. ET.
- Fight result (2-way line): Ribas -200 (bet $200 to win $100) | Barber +168 (bet $100 to win $168)
- Over/Under: 2.5 rounds (Over -200 | Under +154)
- Will the fight go the distance? (Yes -186 | No +146)
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3012″ ]
UFC on ABC 5: Ribas vs. Barber picks and predictions
Records: Ribas (11-3-0) | Barber (12-2-0)
Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)
Barber (+168) burst onto the UFC scene, and she was the “Future.” However, losses to the far more experienced Grasso and Roxanne Modafferi (January 2020) showed she has some holes in the game.
Barber has won the past 4 fights, all going the distance, including wins over the likes of veteran Montana De La Rosa (April 2022) and Jessica Eye (July 2022), as well as a solid win against Miranda Maverick (July 2021). The 25-year-old Barber is positioned for a run up the rankings, and a potential title shot, if she can keep it on the rails.
However, Ribas (-200) might be the toughest fighter Barber has seen to date. The Brazilian has fought the best of the division in her 4-year UFC career, and Barber will have to wait a little longer to make a further jump.
You can’t risk 2 times your potential return on Ribas, however. AVOID and let’s get a little more creative for some wagers with better value.
Over/Under (O/U)
Yes (-186): Will the fight go the distance? is also a little too expensive for my liking.
Instead, RIBAS BY POINTS (+110) is easily the best value on the board if you are backing the favorite. Neither of these combatants have posted very many finishes lately, and I don’t expect one here, either.
“The Future” will make Ribas work hard, but in the present, it’s going to be the Brazilian fighter by a whisker, even potentially by split decision.
Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.
[gambcom-standard rankid=”5″ ]
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and us on Facebook.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=2559]