Amanda Ribas’ star continued to rise when she took on one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster this past July.
After she notched three big strawweight wins, including bouncing Mackenzie Dern out of the ranks of the unbeaten, Ribas moved up to flyweight to take on Paige VanZant at UFC 251 on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
It took less than a minute for Ribas to toss VanZant to the ground. There, she was able to quickly finish the fight. After a couple of scrambles, Ribas wound up on her back, locked in an armbar, and submitted VanZant in the first round.
The fight was the final one on VanZant’s UFC contract, and she later departed the promotion to sign with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
Ribas (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) returns to action on Jan. 23, when she takes on Marina Rodriguez (12-1-2 MMA, 2-1-2 UFC) at UFC 257, which also takes place on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
Before her fight against Rodriguez, relive Ribas’ finish of VanZant in the free fight video above.
