Amanda Ribas returned to the strawweight division, and to the win column by stopping her former housemate.
Ribas (12-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) shared a roof with Luana Pinheiro (11-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) for a few years, but their paths led them to face each other on the main card of UFC Fight Night 232 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The fight was an entertaining scrap up until Ribas found the stoppage at 3:53 of Round 3.
Pinheiro brought the damage early in the fight with heavy offensive pressure. Ribas was bruised and bloodied after Round 1, but she made adjustments and began turning the tide of the fight. The back-and-forth action made for an entertaining bout, but Ribas’ momentum led to finding a home for a beautiful wheel kick that began the finishing sequence. Ribas followed up with a flurry of strikes until the referee called a stop to the fight.
There's no quit in @AmandaUFCRibas 💪
She puts an end to this one with an impressive 3rd round finish! #UFCVegas82 pic.twitter.com/9RD0HTQpnJ
— UFC (@ufc) November 18, 2023
Adding another W into the win column tonight 🙌 @AmandaUFCRibas | #UFCVegas82 pic.twitter.com/UHWFeSmDIR
— UFC (@ufc) November 18, 2023
“Strawweight division, I’m back, and you need to respect,” Ribas said during her post-fight interview before laughing hysterically. Having traded wins and losses over her past 7 fights across the flyweight and strawweight divisions, the jubilant Ribas appears ready to make another run at 115 pounds.
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 232 results include:
- Amanda Ribas def. Luana Pinheiro via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 3:53
- Myktybek Orolbai def. Uros Medic via submission (neck crank) – Round 2, 4:12
- Joanderson Brito def. Jonathan Pearce via submission (ninja choke) – Round 2, 3:54
- Jose Johnson def. Chad Anheliger via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 4:49
- Christian Duncan def. Denis Tiuliulin via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:24
- Jeka Saragih def. Lucas Alexander via KO (punches) – Round 1, 1:31
- Ailin Perez def. Lucie Pudilova via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Trey Ogden vs. Nikolas Motta ends in a no contest (referee error) – Round 3, 3:11
- Rafael Estevam def. Charles Johnson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 232.
