Amanda Ribas returned to the strawweight division, and to the win column by stopping her former housemate.
Ribas (12-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) shared a roof with Luana Pinheiro (11-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) for a few years, but their paths led them to face each other on the main card of UFC Fight Night 232 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The fight was an entertaining scrap up until Ribas found the stoppage at 3:53 of Round 3.
Pinheiro brought the damage early in the fight with heavy offensive pressure. Ribas was bruised and bloodied after Round 1, but she made adjustments and began turning the tide of the fight. The back-and-forth action made for an entertaining bout, but Ribas’ momentum led to finding a home for a beautiful wheel kick that began the finishing sequence. Ribas followed up with a flurry of strikes until the referee called a stop to the fight.
