Rose Namajunas is trying to rejuvenate her profession in a brand new division. She’ll must cross a troublesome grappling take a look at if she desires to enter title competition at flyweight first when Namajunas battles Amanda Ribas on Saturday night time from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Ribas (13-4) is aware of a factor or two about transferring weight courses. She is ranked No. 7 and No. 8 within the ladies’s strawweight and flyweight divisions, respectively, one of many only a few fighters ranked by the UFC in two divisions. Ribas has extra expertise than her opponent at 115 kilos and that is a superb factor. She’ll need each benefit she will discover in her first UFC major occasion towards her first former champion. Ribas has bounced between wins and losses over the past seven fights, however Saturday marks an opportunity to interrupt the behavior.
“It is loopy as a result of my fights are all the time like this,” Ribas advised CBS Sports activities. “It is good as a result of I all the time make a warfare. It isn’t simply pitter-patter. It is all the time preventing with feelings. I used to be attempting to get higher at that as a result of typically I believe with my coronary heart. I have to struggle smarter, to assume with my mind and take heed to my coaches.”
Try the total interview with Amanda Ribas under.
Namajunas (12-6) fell quick in her flyweight debut towards Manon Fiorot in Paris final fall. It was a stunning transfer up contemplating Namajunas was coming off a cut up resolution loss to Carla Esparza for the UFC ladies’s strawweight championship. It was an appalling efficiency from each fighters, however Namajunas was nonetheless very a lot close to the highest of the pecking order. Current back-to-back wins towards present champ Zhang Weili saved her on the high finish of the 115-pound weight class. It appears, nevertheless, that her path ahead is at flyweight. Namajunas admits she rushed the Fiorot however believes her body and framework are actually higher tuned.
“I believe I might have perhaps taken a bit of extra time,” Namajunas advised CBS Sports activities. “Now I really feel like my physique is extra crammed in and a bit of extra dense.
“Even stylistically, I am a bit of extra grounded with a few of my footwork. I believe there was a part the place I moved round so much. I am nonetheless going to do a variety of transferring, however when it is time to sit down on a punch, it will likely be extra grounded. I believe that helps extra defensively too so I am not simply leaping into one thing or working into one thing.”
Try the total interview with Rose Namajunas under.
Beneath is the remainder of the struggle card for Saturday with the newest odds earlier than we get to a prediction and decide on the principle occasion.
UFC Combat Night time card, odds
Rose Namajunas -210 | Amanda Ribas +175 | Ladies’s flyweight |
Karl Williams -190 | Justin Tafa +160 | Heavyweight |
Edmen Shahbazyan -205 | AJ Dobson +170 | Middleweight |
Payton Talbott -150 | Cameron Saiiman +125 | Bantamweight |
Billy Quarantillo -125 | Youseff Zalal +105 | Featherweight |
Fernando Padilla -165 | Luis Pajuelo +140 | Featherweight |
UFC Combat Night time viewing data
Date: March 23 |Â Begin time: 10 p.m. ET (major card)
Location: UFC Apex — Las Vegas
TV channel: ESPN+
Prediction
Amanda Ribas vs. Rose Namajunas: The largest X issue on this struggle is the absence of famend coach Trevor Wittman in Namajunas’ nook. Namajunas didn’t have Wittman for her failed flyweight debut. She stated it was circumstantial at the moment, however Namajunas knowledgeable CBS Sports activities that she’ll struggle as soon as once more with out Wittman with no affirmation that they’d reunite. Wittman’s void was sufficient for folks to rethink betting on Namajunas. A vocal portion of the web blamed Namajunas’ fiancee and cornerman Pat Barry for her panned title loss towards Esparza, crediting Wittman because the voice of motive amongst her coaches.Â
Even with out Wittman, I believe Namajunas is simply too steep a problem for Ribas. Namajunas has been competing towards the most effective strawweights on the planet for a very long time. Ribas hasn’t come near that stage of competitors. Ribas will not have the scale benefit that different flyweights have on Namajunas, nor the elite wrestling required to overwhelm her. I count on Ribas to get picked aside at vary. I have to see how Namajunas’ energy interprets up a weight class however the truth that Ribas has been stopped by strikes in 75% of her losses provides me some confidence within the end. Namajunas by way of TKO3
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