In the co-main event of UFC Jacksonville, we are going to see a big time women’s flyweight fight with a ranking in the top ten on the line. 9th ranked Amanda Ribas (11-3) will look to defend her spot against “The Future” Maycee Barber (12-2).
Amanda Ribas has bounced back-and-forth between flyweight and strawweight depending on where the best fights for her are. That said, this is her third straight fight at 125 pounds. After going 5-1 at 115 including wins over Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern, Ribas moved up.
She fought Katlyn Chookagian to a close split decision loss and then defeated Viviane Araujo back in March at UFC 285. Both of those fights showed that Ribas can compete with the best at 125 and she’ll look to prove that again against Maycee Barber.
After earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, Maycee Barber went 3-0 with three finishes inside the octagon. Then, she lost and tore her ACL against Roxanne Modafferi. She then lost a close decision to current champ Alexa Grasso upon her return.
Since that loss to Grasso, she’s been perfect winning four straight and upping her competition along the way. She wants this win bad because she realizes that a win at UFC Jacksonville means she’s likely only a win or two away from title contention.
UFC Jacksonville Prediction
When I’m looking at the skillsets of both fighters, I think this is a tough matchup for Maycee Barber. Barber does have some good pop in her right hand and we’ve seen Ribas hurt with big shots in the past. However, Barber relies on pressure and grappling to neutralize her opponents.
Ribas is slippery and I think her jiu jitsu skills are going to neutralize Barber’s grappling in this matchup. I’m expecting this fight to mainly take place at a striking range and from there, I really like Amanda Ribas.
She’s shown such great improvement and I love her volume. Between her volume and speed, I think she’s got the inside track at UFC Jacksonville. If Barber can control her or land her big power shots, I can see her winning. However, I think Ribas puts on a great performance and wins a decision handing Barber her third loss.
Prediction: Amanda Ribas by Decision