[autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag]’s run in the UFC may have come to an end Saturday, and not the way she was hoping for.
[autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) took VanZant (8-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) to the canvas about a minute into the fight, then found her way to an armbar that eventually forced VanZant to tap at the 2:21 mark of the opening frame. The fight was the last on VanZant’s UFC contract, and she has said she intends to test free agency.
The women’s flyweight bout opened up the main card at UFC 251 at Flash Forum at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+ and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.
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“I think this fight, I proved to myself and the world it doesn’t matter who you are. What matters is what you want to do with your life,” Ribas said on the broadcast after her win. “People said, ‘How can you beat a girl who trains in a big gym?’ I have a big heart.”
Ribas moved up to flyweight for the fight, but said she intends to move back down to strawweight after her win over VanZant.
Ribas pushed VanZant to the outside early, then landed a body kick 30 seconds into the round. She followed it up with a knee to the body before VanZant tied her up. But it didn’t take long for Ribas to trip VanZant to the canvas.
VanZant tried to work her way free against the fence, but when she got loose Ribas went after an armbar. VanZant tried to roll out of it, but it was too tight and VanZant was forced to tap.
Ribas won for the fifth straight time. VanZant, who fought for the first time in 18 months after a third broken arm and subsequent surgery, has dropped three of her past four.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 251 results include:
- Amanda Ribas def. Paige VanZant via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 2:21
- Jiri Prochazka def. Volkan Oezdemir via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 0:49
- Muslim Salikhov def. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
- Makwan Amirkhani def. Danny Henry via technical submission (anaconda choke) – Round 1, 3:15
- Leonardo Santos def. Roman Bogatov via unanimous decision (29-26, 29-26, 29-26)
- Marcin Tybura def. Maxim Grishin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
- Raulian Paiva def. Zhalgas Zhumagulov via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Karol Rosa def. Vanessa Melo via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
- Davey Grant def. Martin Day via knockout (punch) – Round 3, 2:38
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