UFC Vegas 89: Three reasons to watch main event Amanda Ribas vs. Rose Namajunas on Saturday night
A fight for strawweight bragging rights airs on ESPN+ on March 23, as Amanda Ribas faces Rose Namajunas.
Ribas is a rising star who looks to prove her win streak to start her UFC career wasn’t a fluke. With a 2-2 record in her last four fights, Ribas faces Namajunas, a former two-time UFC strawweight champion. Namajunas is at a crossroads in her career and looks to return to her winning ways.
The UFC strawweight title is on the line at UFC 300 as Zhang Weili defends the title against Yan Xiaonan. Would the winner of this fight be one step closer to fighting for gold?
Outside the main event, the card is stacked, featuring Justin Tafa, Kurt Holobaugh, Payton Talbott and Billy Quarantillo.
WATCH: UFC Vegas 89: Amanda Ribas vs. Rose Namajunas on ESPN+
The Sporting News will provide the top reasons to tune in to UFC Vegas 89, specifically Ribas vs. Namajunas:
The UFC has been preparing for the future to take over for a long time. It doesn’t mean the old guard, the trailblazers, will be left behind. That is up to what happens in the octagon.
Namajunas, 31, has been at the forefront of the strawweight title scene since 2017. Ribas, 30, is just becoming a force inside the octagon. The fight will be Ribas’ first test against a former champion, while Namajunas returns to strawweight after a stint at flyweight, to finish what she started in the division.
Ribas looks for another win as Namajunas looks to remain in the spotlight after losing two straight. The two are opposites regarding trajectory. Only one can leave the octagon with their hand raised.
Per Bet MGM, Namajunas is the -275 favorite, while Ribas is the +220 underdog. Is that an accurate representation of their skill level at the moment?
Namajunas is 0-2 in her last two fights and recently fought at flyweight. However, “Thug Rose” is still capable of producing quality fights. She is ranked second all-time among strawweights with a 57.6 perceent takedown accuracy mark, second in finishes (five), ninth in total fight time (2:56:44), 10th in control time (35:39), and fifth in knockouts landed (0.34) per minute. Namajunas also lands 3.68 significant strikes per minute.
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Ribas is ranked fourth in striking differential at 2.49, second for significant strike defense (67 percent), and second in takedown defense, with an 85.7 percent mark. The latter can help against Namajunas. The Brazilian also lands 4.92 significant strikes per minute.
On the feet, Namajnuas looks to land significant power strikes. Ribas has a solid strike defense (63 percent to Namajunas’ 62 percent) and can try to put Namajunas down and hold her to the floor, something Rose has struggled with in the past.
On paper, it doesn’t look that favorable for the former champion. The winner of this fight may be determined by who can outsmart the other. One move can make a difference between one fighter thriving and one breaking. Who will be the first to break their poker face?
Over the past few years, the UFC’s strawweight division has been run by Zhang Weili, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Jessica Andrade and Namajunas. Rematches have taken over while other contenders patiently wait their turn. Ribas has a chance to shake up the division.
Ranked seventh, Ribas could with a dominant win be propelled to a potential top-five spot. She would join Tatiana Suarez, Virna Jandiroba, and Marina Rodriguez as new blood ready to take over.
Namajunas will look to return to her former glory and continue the old guard’s firm grip on the division. Will we see something new on fight night, or does Namajunas have one last trick up her sleeve?
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The UFC Vegas 89 prelims begin at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, Marc 23, with the main card at 10 p.m. ET. Ribas and Namajunas should make their way to the octagon around 12:15 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last. The event is in the UFC’s APEX in Las Vegas.