Amanda
Ribas might just be one of those fighters that has that elusive
“it” factor that is so often referenced in the star-making
process.
As she prepares to face Marina
Rodriguez at
UFC 257 on Saturday, Ribas has emerged as one of the
promotion’s most intriguing female talents thanks to an impressive
four-bout winning streak and an infectious, bubbly personality.
Though Ribas is something of an interview darling now, she entered
her Octagon debut unsure if she would be able to make a lasting
impression on the MMA community.
“Before I did my debut in the UFC, I always talked to my dad and
mom, ‘How do you sell the fight?’” Ribas said during a virtual
media day. “Because I can’t do trash talk, it’s not like me. I
don’t do sexy photos. And we were talking about it, and people
liked my personality. This is so good for me because I feel
relaxed.”
That alone would not have been enough to stand out, because in the
UFC, the bottom line is winning. Ribas has done that well, posting
notable triumphs over Mackenzie
Dern, Randa
Markos and Paige
VanZant. Rodriguez could be Ribas’ most difficult test to date.
The Brazilian muay Thai specialist has been competitive in a
split-decision loss to Carla
Esparza and a majority draw against Cynthia
Calvillo and owns victories agianst the likes of Tecia
Torres and Jessica
Aguilar during her UFC tenure.
“I feel it’s a really tough fight because she throws elbows, she
throws kicks, she has really good striking,” Ribas said. “It will
be good for me because I can show in this fight my striking too,
not just on the ground. For me, it will be an amazing fight.”
Ribas knows a victory over Rodriguez could put her on the right
track for even bigger things the rest of the year.
“I think if I beat her I can fight with a Top 5 [opponent], maybe,”
Ribas said. “I hope if I win this fight I can fight with a Top 5
because I want to go to the top.”
While Ribas’ first three Octagon appearances came at strawweight,
her most recent triumph over VanZant took place at 125 pounds. The
27-year-old is willing to compete at both weight classes in 2021,
but her main goal is the strawweight crown.
“I want to fight 115, 125. The UFC wants me to,” Ribas said. “My
focus is, of course, on 115. Maybe at the end of the year I can
fight for the belt. Of course, step-by-step — 115 first, this fight
first. If a victory comes, I want to fight a really good name, too.
If the UFC needs me I can do more fights at 125. Maybe this year I
can do three or four fights.”
Although Ribas is already gaining traction as a popular figure in
the sport, she doesn’t have immediate designs on doing commentary
or working to build a crossover brand just yet. That would detract
from her primary focus.
“I see myself [doing that], but I think in the future,” she said.
“But right now I like to [use] my rest time [off] to rest.
Sometimes when we have a lot of jobs, sometimes we don’t have time
to train. Now my focus is training. Maybe for me, it’s not the time
to do that.”