Tag: Amanda Ribas

Michelle Waterson out, Marina Rodriguez targeted vs. Amanda Ribas at UFC 257

Amanda Ribas had a fight fall out for UFC 257, but it didn’t take the promotion long to line up a solid replacement.

[autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] had her scheduled fight for UFC 257 drop out Tuesday, but it took her little time to get a new foe lined up.

Ribas now is now expected to face [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] after Michelle Waterson had to pull out of the matchup. MMA Junkie confirmed the changes through sources with knowledge of the situation after Ag Fight reported the Waterson fallout and MMA Fighting reported the Rodriguez matchup.

Ribas (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is looking for a strong start in 2021 after going 2-0 in the UFC in both 2019 and 2020, defeating Randa Markos and Paige VanZant this year.

Rodriguez (12-1-2 MMA, 2-1-2 UFC), for her part, is looking to right the ship after losing to Carla Esparza and fighting to a draw against Cynthia Calvillo.

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No word was given on the reason for Waterson’s withdrawal.

UFC 257, which is scheduled for Jan. 23, will be headlined by Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier. The location for the event has not yet been announced.

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Amanda Ribas vs. Michelle Waterson in the works for UFC 257

UFC 257 is on the verge of gaining a major 115-pound fight to its lineup.

UFC 257 is on the verge of gaining a major 115-pound fight to its lineup.

Strawweight contenders [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] and [autotag]Michelle Waterson[/autotag] have agreed to fight one another at UFC 257 on Jan. 23. The event does not currently have a location or venue.

Multiple people with knowledge of the targeted booking confirmed the matchup to MMA Junkie on Monday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. ESPN was the first to report the news.

Ribas (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) looks to keep her five-fight winning streak alive. Since signing with the UFC in 2019, Ribas has defeated Emily Whitmire, Mackenzie Dern, Randa Markos and Paige VanZant in succession.

Meanwhile, Waterson (18-8 MMA, 6-4 UFC) rebounded from back-to-back losses when she defeated Angela Hill in a “Fight of the Night” bonus-earning split-decision victory in September. Waterson has won four of her most recent six outings.

A lightweight rematch between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier has been linked to this event, but there has yet to be an official announcement.

With the addition, the UFC 257 lineup includes:

  • Joanne Calderwood vs. Jessica Eye
  • Amanda Ribas vs. Michelle Waterson

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Carla Esparza welcomes Amanda Ribas fight after UFC on ESPN 14: ‘She has a lot of hype’

Carla Esparza likes the idea of fighting Amanda Ribas if she gets a victory at UFC on ESPN 14.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] likes the idea of fighting [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] if she gets a victory at UFC on ESPN 14.

The former UFC champ Esparza (16-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) meets unbeaten Marina Rodriguez (13-0-2 MMA, 2-0-2 UFC) in a key strawweight bout on Saturday’s card, which takes place at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi and airs on ESPN. Although it was already an important fight, the matchup has been even further elevated by the UFC’s biggest new budding star, Ribas (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC), voicing her desire to fight the winner.

Ribas is coming off a dominant first-round submission win over Paige VanZant at UFC 251 this month, and afterward she named Esparza vs. Rodriguez as a matchup that could produce her next for. Esparza said she’s focused on the task at hand, but very much likes the idea.

“I’m definitely down to fight her,” Esparza told reporters, including MMA Junkie, on Tuesday at UFC on ESPN 14 media day. “First things first, I got to handle business over here on ‘Fight Island,’ but of course. I’m down to fight anyone. I always have been and that’s news to me. I didn’t know she called out the winner of this fight. But yeah, I’m game.

“She has a lot of hype right now, she got a big win this past weekend and I think that would actually be a really good fight.”

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Despite the fact she once held a UFC title, Esparza is currently riding the longest winning streak of her tenure with the promotion at three consecutive fights. The winning streak comes on the heels of back-to-back losses in 2018, which “The Cookie Monster” viewed as something of a crossroads in her career.

Esparza didn’t let the down moments break her, though, and said it actually forced her to address the flaws in her game.

“I feel good about it,” Esparza said of her streak. “I made the change, I had two losses in a row for the first time in my career and I think the person you are kind of dictates what you do after that. Do I fold and stay on that path or are you going to make some changes and evolve? I took a step back and I made a lot of changes and I think that’s what’s contributed to my wins.”

Ever since she lost the 115-pound title to Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 185 in March 2015, Esparza had been consistently asked about how and when she will get back to the belt. That question has been more relevant at certain times than others, but right now she is trending in the direction of the belt.

If Esparza can get past Rodriguez, then potentially Ribas afterward, she would be in a strong position to challenge for the title.

“I don’t think I ever completely, 100 percent left that conversation,” Esparza said. “I don’t think I’ve been out of the top 10 since my first year of fighting. I’ve always strived to hit that top spot. There’s bumps in the road always, but there’s tough girls in that division. A loss here and there I don’t think necessarily takes me or anyone out of the equation. This game is a game of matchups. I go there and lose to Joanna then beat Rose then Rose goes and knocks out Joanna. People are constantly evolving and it’s one of those things. I think matchups makes fights.”

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Triple Take: Who had the most memorable moment over three UFC events in seven days?

After 36 UFC fights in eight days, which winner on “Fight Island” delivered the most memorable performance? Our MMA Junkie writers debate.

This past Saturday concluded a marathon of UFC action that included three events in seven days on “Fight Island” at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. From UFC 251 to UFC on ESPN 13 to UFC on ESPN+ 30, a total of 36 fights unfolded over from July 11 to July 18, and there’s a lot to digest from that time.

There were memorable performances delivered in championship bouts, matchups between contenders and fighters making their debuts. Which effort left the strongest lasting impression, though? MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun, John Morgan and Simon Head debate in the latest edition of Triple Take.

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Farah Hannoun: Deiveson Figueiredo

Deiveson Figueiredo

[autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag]’s performance against Joseph Benavidez at UFC on ESPN+ 30 will go down as one of the most dominant championship wins in UFC history.

Few imagined Figueiredo (19-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) would be able to run through Benavidez like that, dropping him three times and becoming the first man to ever submit him. While Figueiredo did stop Benavidez in Round 2 of their first fight, it was a competitive battle where Benavidez was able to win the first round.

Though Benavidez has never won a UFC title, he’s been a staple in the 125-pound division, taking out just about every flyweight on the roster, including a decision win over former UFC dual-champ Henry Cejudo. But Figueiredo was a man on a mission that night and wanted to erase the notion that he only won the first fight because of an inadvertent head butt.

There are several 125-pounders chomping at the bit to get their crack at the title, but Figueiredo looked like an unstoppable force that may rule the division for a very long time.

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A star is born? Amanda Ribas relishes attention she received on UFC ‘Fight Island’

It’s nice when you receive a little VIP treatment from UFC president Dana White.

ABU DHABI – While “Fight Island” didn’t turn out to be this magical place some imagined it would be, the experience was everything [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] could’ve hoped for.

It started with UFC 251 fight week where a jovial Ribas could hardly contain herself heading into her flyweight bout with one of the promotion’s most popular fighters in Paige VanZant. Then Ribas went out and took care of business inside the cage, submitting VanZant with a slick armbar just 2:21 into the first round.

As if a big win on a big stage wasn’t enough, Ribas received a the VIP treatment from UFC president Dana White just a few days later, sitting with him cageside to watch UFC on ESPN 13.

Thinking about it all, Ribas again could hardly contain herself.

“I love it,” Ribas said Thursday. “My followers duplicated. I put a photo; everybody comments. (Wednesday), I watched the main event with Dana White. So I’m really happy for that. It’s been amazing for me.”

The fact that Ribas was treated like a UFC A-lister following her victory, it makes her wonder what could lie ahead for her career.

“I’m still young. I’m in the beginning. And if in the beginning it’s like that, you can imagine the future!” she said with a laugh. “I hope to get a lot more attention and media.”

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If Ribas keeps winning, that’s sure to continue. She’s 4-0 since making her UFC debut 13 months ago, with wins over VanZant and highly touted prospect Mackenzie Dern. But as much as Ribas is relishing the added attention, she’s not losing focus.

As impressive as her performance was against VanZant, Ribas still saw some flaws when watching it back. In that sense, she vows to still take things slow as she hopes to work her way toward UFC title contention  – and stardom.

“I saw some mistakes I need to correct myself, because I think all the times we need to get better, get better,” Ribas said. “I saw the mistakes. For the next time, I will be better. …

“I think my (overall) plan is still the same – to get better and better every time. Step by step, I don’t want to (go) really fast in my career. Step by step, training really hard, get to the top with the same heart.”

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UFC 251 medical suspensions: Kamaru Usman facing longer sit than Jorge Masvidal

Kamaru Usman won at UFC 251, but he didn’t walk away unscathed.

[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] won at UFC 251, but he didn’t walk away unscathed.

Retaining his title against challenger [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] in the pay-per-view headliner, Usman (17-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC) received a longer medical suspension than his opponent.

On Friday, MMA Junkie obtained the full list from MixedMartialArts.com, the ABC’s official recordkeeper. Fighters can return sooner than the duration of their suspension if cleared by a doctor.

According to the list, Usman suffered a potentially broken nose during the 25-minute duration of his unanimous decision victory. The injury could mean he’ll need to take 180 days off in between fights.

As for Masvidal (35-13 MMA, 12-6 UFC), “Gamebred” received a much shorter suspension: 30 days off due to a facial laceration.

UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag], former UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag], and UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] all received 30-day suspensions, while former UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] received a mandatory TKO-loss suspension of 45 days.

UFC 251 took place Saturday at the Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The main card streamed on pay-per-view after prelims simulcasted on ESPN and ESPN+.

The complete list of UFC 250 medical suspensions:

  • Kamaru Usman: Suspended 180 days or until nasal X-ray is cleared by doctor; also suspended 21 days with no contact.
  • Jorge Masvidal: Suspended 30 days for forehead laceration with no contact for 21 days.
  • Alexander Volkanovski: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “a hard bout.”
  • Max Holloway: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “a hard bout.”
  • Petr Yan: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days due to “a hard bout.”
  • Jose Aldo: Suspended 45 days (mandatory due to TKO) with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days due to knockout with no contact for 45 days.
  • [autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Danny Henry[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Leonardo Santos[/autotag]: Suspended 45 days for “hard bout” with no contact for 30 days.
  • [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Maxim Grishin[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until nasal X-ray is cleared by doctor; also suspended 21 days with no contact.
  • [autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with 21 days no contact.
  • [autotag]Zhalgas Zhamagulov[/autotag]: Suspended 30 days with no contact for 21 days.
  • [autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Vanessa Melo[/autotag]: Suspended 7 days (mandatory rest).
  • [autotag]Davy Grant[/autotag]: Suspended 180 days or until cleared by oral and maxillofacial doctor; also suspended 30 days with no contact.
  • [autotag]Martin Day[/autotag]: Suspended 60 days due to knockout with no contact for 45 days.

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Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Kamaru Usman and UFC 251’s key winning fighters?

See who champs Kamaru Usman, Alexander Volkanovski and Petr Yan should fight next after their title-fight victories at UFC 251.

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Jorge Masvidal and UFC 251’s key losing fighters?)

After every event, fans wonder whom the winners will be matched up with next.

With another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC 251’s key winning fighters.

Those included [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC), who successfully defended his welterweight title against Jorge Masvidal (35-14 MMA, 12-7 UFC) by unanimous decision in the headliner at Flash Forum in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, the still featherweight champ [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (22-1 MMA, 9-0 UFC), the new bantamweight champ [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC), as well as former champ Rose Namajunas (9-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) and top prospect [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC).

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Amanda Ribas

Should fight: Winner of [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 14
Why they should fight: Ribas lived up to the heavy betting odds that were placed upon her going into her matchup with Paige VanZant by delivering a dominant performance that ended in a first-round submission.

Ribas appears to have all the attributes to be a big star in the UFC. She has largely had her way with all her opponents so far, and the matchup with VanZant was clearly one to help her shine off a known commodity. She did that in every way.

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The Brazilian moved up to the women’s flyweight division for the fight specifically, but she’ll drop back down to strawweight where she does her best work for the next fight. Ribas could fight anyone in the top 15 it would be a compelling bout. Ribas called her shot, though, mentioning the winner of the July 25 bout between former champ Esparza (16-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) and unbeaten Rodriguez (13-0-2 MMA, 2-0-2 UFC) as a fight of interest.

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UFC 251 post-event facts: Even in defeat, Max Holloway makes history

The best facts and figures to come out of UFC 251, which saw Kamaru Usman defend his title against Jorge Masvidal in the main event.

The UFC’s biggest event of 2020 so far went own on Saturday with UFC 251, which took place at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi and aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN.

Three championship fights were featured on the card, but the main event occupied most of the attention with Kamaru Usman (17-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC) successfully defending his welterweight title for the second time in a unanimous decision over Jorge Masvidal (35-14 MMA, 12-7 UFC).

Usman put himself further in the record books with the win, but he wasn’t the only one to make history on the night. For more on the numbers, check below for 50 post-event facts to come out of UFC 251.

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General

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The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $305,500.

[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag], [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag], [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] and [autotag]Davey Grant[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC 251 fight-night bonuses.

Debuting fighters went 1-3 on the card.

UFC 251 drew an announced attendance of zero for a live gate of $0.

Betting favorites went 11-1 on the card. One fight had even odds.

Betting favorites improved to 11-6 in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 13-bout card was 3:07:27, a new single-event record in UFC history.

Main card

Usman extended his winning streak to 16 fights. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Usman became the third fighter in UFC history to start 12-0 with the promotion. Anderson Silva and Khabib Nurmagomedov also accomplished the feat.

Usman’s 12-fight UFC winning streak is tied with Nurmagomedov for the longest active streak in the company.

Usman is the only welterweight in history to start his UFC career with 12 consecutive victories.

Usman’s 12-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Usman’s 12-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is tied with Georges St-Pierre for longest in divisional history.

Usman has earned nine of his 12 UFC victories by decision.

Masvidal fell to 7-5 since he returned to the welterweight division in July 2015.

Masvidal has suffered 11 of his 14 career losses by decision. That includes all six of his UFC defeats.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (22-1 MMA, 9-0 UFC) extended his winning streak to 19 consecutive fights. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Volkanovski’s seven-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is tied with Arnold Allen for the longest active streak in the division.

Volkanovski has earned six of his nine UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-6 MMA, 17-6 UFC) has suffered five of his six career losses by decision.

Holloway has landed 100 or more significant strikes in 11 separate UFC fights, the most in company history. No other fighter has more than seven such performances.

Holloway’s 2,182 total strikes landed in UFC competition are most in company history.

Holloway became the second fighter in UFC history to complete 23 octagon appearances without suffering a knockdown. B.J. Penn also accomplished the feat.

[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]’s (15-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) became the third Russian-born champion in UFC history. Nurmagomedov and Andrei Arlovski also accomplished the feat.

Yan’s seven-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.

[autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]’s (28-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) four-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since February 2019.

Aldo fell to 0-2 since he dropped to the bantamweight division in December.

Aldo fell to 3-6 in his past nine fights after going undefeated for more than a decade.

Aldo has suffered five of his seven career losses by stoppage.

Aldo has suffered all four of his UFC stoppage losses by knockout.

Namajunas’ (9-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) seven victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (10).

Namajunas’ five fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts are second most in divisional history behind Andrade (seven).

Andrade (20-8 MMA, 11-6 UFC) fell to 7-3 since she dropped to the UFC strawweight division in June.

Andrade’s seven fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts are most in divisional history.

[autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) has earned seven of her 10 career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] (8-5 MMA, 5-4 UFC) fell to 1-2 since she moved up to the UFC women’s flyweight division in January 2018.

VanZant has suffered all three of her career stoppage losses by submission.

Preliminary card

Prochazka (27-3-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) improved to 20-1-1 in his past 22 fights dating back to June 2013.

Prochazka has earned 26 of his 27 career victories by stoppage.

[autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 5-4 UFC) fell to 2-4 in his past six fights dating back to January 2018.

Oezdemir has suffered four of his five career losses by stoppage.

[autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) became the third fighter in UFC history to earn multiple submission victories by anaconda choke. Phil Davis and Charles Oliveira also accomplished the feat.

[autotag]Danny Henry[/autotag] (12-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) fell to 1-2 since he dropped to the UFC featherweight division in March 2018.

Henry has suffered both of his career stoppage losses by submission.

[autotag]Leonardo Santos[/autotag] (18-3-1 MMA, 7-0-1 UFC) extended his unbeaten streak to 13 fights. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2009.

Santos’ eight-fight unbeaten streak in UFC lightweight competition is the second longest active streak in the division behind Nurmagomedov (11).

[autotag]Roman Bogatov[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) had his 10-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.

[autotag]Maxim Grishin[/autotag] (30-8-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered his first decision loss since Dec. 11, 2009 – a span of 3,865 days (nearly 11 years) and 32 fights.

[autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag] (13-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has earned both of her UFC victories by decision.

[autotag]Vanessa Melo[/autotag]’s (10-8 MMA, 0-3 UFC) three-fight losing skid is the longest of her career. She hasn’t earned a victory since January 2019.

Melo has suffered seven of her eight career losses by decision. That includes all three of her UFC defeats.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

Amanda Ribas wants to focus on strawweight, eyes winner of Carla Esparza vs. Marina Rodriguez

Brazilian prospect Amanda Ribas wants to return to strawweight, eyes winner of Carla Esparza vs. Marina Rodriguez following win at UFC 251.

It seems like [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] may be on her way back to 115 pounds.

The Brazilian prospect wants to return to strawweight after a successful debut at 125 pounds. Ribas (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) defeated Paige VanZant to open the UFC 251 main card Saturday at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. She submitted VanZant with an armbar in the first round.

Although she said she’s open to fights at flyweight, Ribas would like to return to 115 pounds for her next UFC outing and she already has a name in mind.

“I want to fight in my weight of 115 (pounds), maybe with the winner of Carla Esparza and Marina Rodriguez,” Ribas said after the fight. “But if UFC wants me to fight at 125, I can fight, too. I don’t know – maybe top 15? I’m ambitious. I’m asking. If they give it to me, I will accept it and put my energy in it all again.

“I’m really grateful for the UFC to give us an opportunity to do our job because a lot of people are not working. So for me, to be here working and do what I love to do is awesome.”

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Ribas would like the winner of Esparza-Rodriguez due to a couple of factors.

“I think it’s because they are really good in the rankings and it’s a fight that would be close to me right now,” Ribas said. “I think it will be in two weeks so the winner will have time to rest and be ready for me.”

Ribas said fighting on “Fight Island” was a good experience and she’s open to return to Abu Dhabi. The 26-year-old is on a five-fight winning streak, including her first four in the UFC.

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