Sooner or later, Loopy Godinez knew she was going to cross paths with Tabatha Ricci. As expected, the two were paired to fight on Nov. 11 at UFC 295, which takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Godinez (10-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) knew this day would come, as the pair have rose through the ranks on a similar timeline. From fighting in the regional scene to now being in the UFC’s official strawweight rankings, both Godinez and Ricci (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) show plenty of promise.
“When she got in the rankings, I figured we were going to fight someday,” Godinez told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “Actually, before I was fighting in the UFC, and I was at LFA, she was also at LFA, so there could’ve even been a possibility where I fought her before the UFC. But anyway, I got in the UFC, then after she joined, and I did think that eventually I was going to fight her.”
The Lobo Gym product is currently on a three-fight wining streak and 5-1 in her past six UFC appearances. She’s coming off a dominant showing against Elise Reed at Noche UFC on Sept. 16, where she got a submission victory along with a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.
Godinez sees Ricci as a formidable challenge and a great next step for her career. She believes fight fans will be in for a treat.
“She’s very complete,” Godinez said. “She has ground game. She has wrestling and judo. She’s got good hands. I think it’s going to be a cool fight because it’s going to have a little of everything.
“She has her strengths, but so do I with my wrestling and jiu-jitsu. I also did judo and my hands are getting better. We’re going to shine that night.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 295.
