Kicking off the UFC 257 main card was an anticipated strawweight matchup. Budding superstar, Amanda Ribas (10-1) took on fellow Brazilian, Marina Rodriguez (12-1-2). Both entered this contest inside the UFC‘s top ten.
Ribas has taken the MMA world by storm over the past year. From her skill in the octagon to her infectious personality, the Brazilian seems to have it all. As mentioned, she’s extremely skilled.
Ribas entered the octagon tonight undefeated in the UFC. She has wins over Paige VanZant, Mackenzie Dern, and Randa Markos in her career so far. However, it was clear that her toughest test stood in front of her tonight.
Marina Rodriguez earned a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series a couple of years ago. However, her UFC run hasn’t been the smoothest thus far. It is worth noting that she’s faced top competition.
So far she is 2-1-2 in her five fights inside the octagon. Rodriguez suffered her first career loss to former UFC champion Carla Esparza in her last fight. She was looking to get a huge bounce back win tonight and stop the hype train of Amanda Ribas.
UFC 257 Recap
Round 1
The first fight on the UFC 257 main card got started with a touch of the gloves. Ribas was trying to work her way inside early with straight punches. However, Rodriguez was doing a good job of circling around the outside.
Both ladies connected with a few shots, however Ribas was able to work her way in. Rodriguez made an error that allowed Ribas to get ahold of her. Once she grabbed her, Ribas was able to land the takedown with a few minutes to work.
Rodriguez was able to keep Ribas inside the guard. However, Ribas was doing well at landing shots on Rodriguez. Rodriguez tried to throw up submissions, but Ribas did a good job of defending. The round comes to an end and it’s 1-0 for Ribas at UFC 257.
Round 2
The second round of the UFC 257 bout kicked off with Ribas looking to close the distance. Rodriguez was looking to work her kicks to keep her distance. Ribas worked her way in but Rodriguez landed a massive right hand that dropped Amanda Ribas.
Amanda Ribas folded and Rodriguez followed up with a few shots. Herb Dean stepped in and there was a moment of confusion. The fight wasn’t stopped after Rodriguez thought it was. She went right back to work and finished off Amanda Ribas. Massive win for Marina Rodriguez.
Marina Rodriguez def. Amanda Ribas by TKO – Round 2