Amanda Ribas looks to get back on winning track in UFC 267

MANILA, Philippines – It is four days before Amanda Ribas’ fight against Virna Jandiroba in UFC 267 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and the five-foot-four dynamo can’t wait to get back inside the Octagon.

In an interview with Philstar.com, Ribas (10-0, 4-1 in the UFC) shared that she is highly motivated to get back on the winning track after she saw her four-match win streak stopped by fellow Brazilian Marina Rodriguez last January also in Abu Dhabi, and also to put her COVID-19 troubles behind her.

“Thank God I am good. I got it two times,” bared Ribas, who took time off from her training camp for this exclusive interview. 

Ribas was supposed to fight much earlier after the loss to Rodriguez but she contracted the virus for a second time. “In my last fight. I did my camp and weight cut and then they called me and said I had Covid. My father also got Covid but we’re all good now. We’re fully vaccinated.”

“Training camp has been amazing. I initially did my training camp in (her hometown of) Varginha in Brazil then I arrived in Abu Dhabi last Saturday, October 23.”

Ribas will go up against Jandiroba (17-2-0), who last fought on June 19, 2021 when she defeated Kanako Murata via TKO.

However, if combat sports fans are familiar with Ribas, they will know that she is an all-action fighter who is in perpetual motion and always moving forward like a hunter stalking her prey. She is adept in striking and landing spinning back heels and backhands as she is in the ground and pound game. 

Out of the Octagon, Ribas is 180 degrees different. She likes to spend time with her family especially her father Marcelo, a Brazilian judo master and one who taught her the rudiments of mixed martial arts. 

“It’s a dream come true for him (her father) and for me to become a fighter. I am also happy to be fighting as well. My family and my gym are both happy too. They know about my family’s MMA history.”

Ribas smiles and laughs a lot. “Someone who likes to laugh and play jokes on her friends,” is how she describes herself. And judging from the interview, she is full of life even poking fun at herself for the zit that is growing on her 28-year old forehead. 

“I still have zits,” she laughed.

Make no mistake. Ribas is primed for her fight with Jandiroba. 

“It’s going to be a big fight. We both fight well on the ground or standing up and we both do not let up,” Amanda forecast of the fight. “It will be interesting to see who comes out on top. But I really want to win. 

“In any sport, you can’t say that one person is a favorite. If you lose your mind for two seconds you can get this moment. I am really prepared. After getting Covid, I really prepared and I want to win.

“It’s all business and when I fight, I focus, focus.”

Asked about sharing similar styles with the veteran Jandiroba, Ribas said the skills may be equal, but what stressed the thing that sets her apart. 

“It’s my heart. Because I put my heart in everything I do.”

UFC 267 can be watched by UFC fans on Premier Sports on Sky Cable and Cignal and on the Tap Go streaming app.