UFC Vegas 82 video: Amanda Ribas’ spinning heel kick to the face leads to knockout of Luana Pinheiro
Amanda Ribas had a rough start to her night at UFC Vegas 82, but she stormed back to score a spectacular knockout finish of Luana Pinheiro.
While it was Pinheiro who had the advantage in the opening round, Ribas survived early and then just slowly started chipping away at her opponent. By the third round, Pinheiro was exhausted and Ribas was just looking for the kill.
The end came after Ribas uncorked a devastating spinning heel kick to the face that badly rocked Pinheiro. Ribas followed that up with rapid-fire punches in succession, with Pinheiro finally crumbling to the canvas and the referee stepping in at 3:53 of the final round.
Amanda Ribas! HIGHLIGHT REEL KICK LEADING TO THE KO! pic.twitter.com/qk8GyX6ZOb
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) November 18, 2023
“Strawweight division, I’m back,” Ribas shouted afterward. “It’s awesome. I’m happy to be here with all these people here. UFC, I love you.”
When the action started, it was Pinheiro who set the tone by blasting Ribas with a stiff right hand that rattled her almost immediately. Pinheiro continued to pour on the punishment, with Ribas showing significant swelling across her face.
But Ribas survived to get to the second round, and that’s where the momentum started to shift. Slowly but surely, Ribas peppered away at Pinheiro with slick combinations while also targeting her lead leg with kicks. The constant pressure and pace ate away at Pinheiro, who just didn’t much to offer in return.
Finally, in the third round, Ribas unleashed the spinning heel kick followed by a barrage of punches that put Pinheiro down and out for the last time.
It was a massive comeback and a huge win for Ribas in her return to the strawweight division following a brief stint competing at 125 pounds.