Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK


The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to the Apex Facility in Las Vegas for a second consecutive week with UFC on ESPN 53. The event will be headlined by multi-divisional contender
Amanda Ribas going up against former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas.

Ribas is determined to seize the opportunity of her maiden main event and deliver a resounding statement. The Brazilian boasts a commendable resume adorned with remarkable triumphs over the likes of Viviane Araujo and Mackenzie Dern. She has oscillated between triumphs and defeats across seven preceding bouts and will look forward to rupturing this cyclic pattern with a victory over Namajunas.

On the other hand, Namajunas will make the Octagon walk with the determination to reaffirm her standing among the elite. She dropped a unanimous decision loss to Manon Fiorot in her previous encounter, which also marked her flyweight debut. Namajunas will be keen to take command of her career and establish supremacy with the fresh opportunity at her disposal.

5: Namajunas holds the joint second spot on the women’s strawweight ladder for most finishes with five to her name.

2: She also occupies the shared No.3 spot for most KO/ TKO wins in the divisional history with two finishes of that nature under her belt.

3: With three submission wins, “Thug” is second on the list for most submission wins at strawweight.

4: She also has four title fight wins to her credit, which is only behind former divisional queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

6: Her innate ability to deliver entertaining fights is highlighted by the fact that she holds the second spot on the list for total fight night bonus winners.

2:56:44: She’s ninth on the divisional list for total fight time, which speaks volumes about her in-cage experience.

2.49: Ribas maintains a striking differential of 2.49, which is the fourth best in the division.

42%: The American Top Team standout boasts a 42% striking accuracy in her fights.

63%: Besides her offensive prowess, she maintains a commendable significant strike defense at 63%.

87%: Ribas is also very difficult to take to the ground, underscored by the 87% takedown defense rate she maintains in her fights.

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