Marina Rodriguez and Amanda Ribas are opening the main-card at UFC 257 on Saturday, January 23, 2021 on PPV.
In this strawweight (115lb) bout, we have Marina Rodriguez vs. Amanda Ribas. Rodriguez is fighting out of Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil. Rodriguez lost her last fight against Carla Esparza via decision. Before her last loss, she was ona two fight win streak and had wins over Tecia Torres and Jessica Aguilar. She is entering this bout as a +240 underdog. She has a professional MMA record of 12-1-0. Eye has 5 wins by KO/TKO (42%), 1 submission (8%), and 6 decisions (50%).
Ribas is entering this fight as a -325 favorite. She is fighting out of Minas gerais, Brazil. She has a professional MMA record of 10-1-0. Ribas is currently on a five fight win streak. She has notable wins over Paige VanZant, Randa Markos, Mackenzie Dern and Emily Whitmire. Ribas has 3 wins via KO/TKO (30%), 4 submission (40%), and 3 decisions (30%).
When Rodriguez fought Carla Esparza, I was a disappointed with her performance. She was taken down and controlled by Esparza throughout the entire fight. To say the least, Rodriguez needs to work on her takedown defense if she wants any chance in this fight. Ribas is a black belt in Jiu Jitsu and has a significant advantage on the ground. If I were Ribas, I would take this fight to the ground immediately. Rodriguez has a slight striking advantage, but her takedown defense is extremely inconsistent. Ribas should dominate this fight. For these reasons, my pick is…