Ribas has already made history in the UFC’s strawweight division, being ranked second in takedown defense at 83.3%, third in striking differential and significant strike defense, and fourthin strikes absorbed per minute. What this spells out is that Ribas is that she can do it all on fight night. There have been great strikers that get hit a lot, then there are those few that show real promise in both facets of the game. Ribas is the latter.
The last two fights have not finished in Ribas’ favor as she lost to Namajunas via five-round decision and, most recently, she lost in the rematch with Dern via submission. Against Dern, Ribas was tied on the scorecards going into the third round, where she was dominating the grappling before getting submitted, but it showed some promise for Ribas.
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“My last two fights have been as the main event and it was a huge experience for myself and that was part of my dream,” said Ribas. “I am really confident that my training is working. I trained more and have eaten healthier to get better for this fight.”
The pressure of a main event, mixed with ongoing adjustments, always spells trouble, but for Ribas, this upcoming fight with Ricci will prove to be the most decisive when looking forward topotential bouts. With someone as skilled as Ribas, it only takes a couple of big wins to realistically make a claim for a shot at the belt.