Top-ranked strawweight’s Michelle Waterson and Amanda Ribas will meet inside the octagon on March 26 at a UFC Fight Night. MMA Fighting was the first to report the news.
Amanda Ribas (11-2, 5-1 UFC) made her UFC debut in June 2019, defeating Emily Whitmire. Ribas would go on to win three more against Mackenzie Dern, Randa Markos and Paige VanZant before experiencing her first setback against Marina Rodriguez in January.
Ribas bounced back in her most recent appearance at UFC 257 when she bested former Invicta FC champion Virna Jandiroba by unanimous decision. Ribas is currently ranked #10 in the UFC’s strawweight division.
Michelle Waterson (18-9, 6-5 UFC) has had an up-and-down run in the UFC thus far. Debuting at the Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale, ‘The Karate Hottie’ won her first two bouts against Angela Magana and Paige VanZant. She lost the next two against current strawweight champion Rose Namajunas and Tecia Torres.
In her longest streak, Waterson won three straight against Cortney Casey, Felice Herrig and Karolina Kowalkiewicz but has since dropped three of her last four. Like her opponent, Waterson is also looking to bounce back from a loss to Marina Rodriguez.
Las Vegas, but no official announcement has been made. Former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz will headline the event against rising contender Aleksandar Rakic. Also rumoured for the event is Sara McMann vs Karol Rosa. Card subject to change.
Follow me on Twitter at @SuperbeastCraig to see my latest work. Follow us on social media at @OTHeroicsMMA to stay up to date with all things MMA.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images and Embed from Getty Images
