2024 UFC Fight Night: Ribas vs. Namajunas
Welcome to the electrifying showdown of 2024 UFC Fight Night: Ribas vs. Namajunas! Prepare for an adrenaline-fueled spectacle as two titans of the women's flyweight division collide in the main event.
Rose Namajunas vs Amanda Ribas
Namajunas has been a solid contender in the strawweight division, holding the title on two separate occasions. This upcoming fight will only be her second appearance in this weight class. However, her recent performances haven't quite lived up to expectations. In her last two outings, she suffered a narrow split-decision loss to Carla Esparza, during which she managed to land only 37 strikes over the course of 25 minutes. Following that, she faced Manon Fiorot and suffered another setback, failing to display significant offensive output.
Ribas just had a killer moment in her career, pulling off a spinning-wheel-kick knockout against Luana Pinheiro. It was her first-ever UFC knockdown and finish from strikes. In the UFC, Ribas has mainly fought at strawweight, but she's switched it up a bit, jumping between flyweight – which is where this fight is happening – a few times. She's been rocking it more consistently at the lighter weight class, boasting a 6-1 record. Her losses at flyweight were against some seriously bigger and stronger fighters like Maycee Barber and Katlyn Cerminara.
Happy to take on the underdog in what should be a close contest. Ribas was impressive against Pinheiro and hopefully she can bring that momentum into this fight.
Head to Head Record
This is the first meeting in the UFC.
Best Bet
Karl Williams vs Justin Tafa
Out of his nine professional victories, he's only been able to secure finishes in three of them. It's worth noting that none of these finishes occurred within the UFC or Contender Series, indicating that he's still working on making his mark in those arenas. Additionally, he's often considered a bit undersized for the heavyweight division, which could pose challenges against larger opponents. Initially, the lineup for this event had Karl Williams scheduled to face off against Junior Tafa.
This 30-year-old Australian fighter packs a serious punch in the heavyweight division. Tafa's record speaks volumes – he's secured knockouts in all seven of his professional victories, and impressively, all four of those wins came within the UFC octagon. Despite his aggressive style, he's only been stopped once, showcasing his resilience and determination inside the cage. With such an impressive track record, Tafa undoubtedly holds a significant edge over his opponents.
Tafa looks undervalued in this one and could spring an upset.
Head to Head Record
This is the first meeting in the UFC.
Best Bet
Trey Ogden vs Kurt Holobaugh
Trey Ogden's UFC record might seem a bit tricky at first glance, standing at 1-2-1. It all started with a close split-decision loss to Jordan Leavitt. Then, there's the no-contest in his latest bout, where things got interesting. Ogden was dominating the fight, leading 20-18 after two rounds. He had a tight submission locked in, and although it seemed like Nikolas Motta was out, the referee jumped in a bit early, ending the match.
Holobaugh is making a comeback to the UFC, joining the ranks of returning veterans for this event. In his previous UFC appearances, he didn't fare too well, going 0-4. His sole official UFC victory came during the TUF tournament final. Although winning a reality show like TUF once held significant weight, nowadays, the roster mainly consists of fighters who didn't even get a chance to compete in the Contender Series. This raises doubts about the true value of his win in the tournament.
Hard to back against Ogden in this matchup with Holobaugh returning to the UFC after going 0-4 previously.
Head to Head Record
This is the first meeting in the UFC.
Best Bet
