Rose Namajunas vs. Amanda Ribas to headline March 23 UFC event
Rose Namajunas is sticking around at flyweight.
After a disappointing debut in the division this past September, Namajunas (11-6) is set to meet Amanda Ribas (12-4) in a 125-pound bout that serves as the main event of a UFC card on March 23. That event is expected to take place at UFC APEX in Las Vegas.
MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz and Mike Heck confirmed the matchup, following an initial report by MMA Hoje.
Namajunas recently made the move to 125 pounds after an eight-year run in the UFC that saw her twice win the 115-pound belt. However, she fell short against top contender Manon Fiorot at UFC Paris, losing a unanimous decision to the top flyweight contender. That makes it two straight losses for “Thug Rose,” who dropped the strawweight title to Carla Esparza in a forgettable championship bout at UFC 274.
Ribas is no stranger to jumping between weight classes herself. The Brazilian standout most recently competed at 115 pounds this past November when she defeated Luana Pinheiro via third-round TKO. That marked a return to strawweight for Ribas, who also holds notable wins at flyweight over Viviane Araujo and Paige VanZant.