Amanda Ribas Bio
Amanda Limborco Alcântara Ribas, born on August 26, 1993, in Varginha, Minas Gerais, Brazil, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the women’s Strawweight and Flyweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and holds a black belt in both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo. Trained primarily at American Top Team since 2016, she has compiled a professional record of 13 wins and 7 losses across twenty bouts. Known for her grappling base and aggressive style, she remains a ranked contender in the UFC women’s strawweight division.
Early Life and Background
Amanda Ribas grew up in Varginha, a city in the southern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, where she was raised in a martial arts household. She is the daughter of Marcelo Ribas, a judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach who also teaches Muay Thai. From an early age, she trained under her father’s guidance at the Marcelo Ribas Team, which would later become her first professional camp.
Ribas developed her grappling skills on the mat, becoming part of a Brazilian national judo youth team during her adolescence. She paused her competitive training for several years after suffering recurring knee injuries. Her path back to combat sports came after watching several training partners prepare for an amateur mixed martial arts tournament, an experience that reignited her competitive drive.
Path to MMA
Returning to the mat with renewed focus, Ribas began training across multiple disciplines and entered amateur mixed martial arts competition. In 2014, she captured the IMMAF Senior World Championship in the Women’s Flyweight division, a victory that established her as one of the top amateur prospects in Brazil. The gold medal also served as a springboard to her professional career later that same year.
Her early fighting style was built on her judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu foundation, with strong takedown skills and a threatening ground game. Ribas fought primarily in regional Brazilian promotions, compiling a strong amateur pedigree before turning professional. She amassed a record of 6-1 prior to receiving the call from the UFC, demonstrating consistent finishing ability and a well-rounded skill set.
Amanda Ribas Career
Early Career (2014–2017)
After winning the 2014 IMMAF Senior World Championship, Ribas launched her professional mixed martial arts career in 2014. Competing primarily in her home country of Brazil, she worked her way through regional shows while sharpening her striking and wrestling. Her record of 6-1 caught the attention of UFC matchmakers, leading to her signing with the promotion.
Ribas was initially scheduled to face Juliana Lima at The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale on July 7, 2017, but the bout was cancelled after she was flagged by USADA for a potential anti-doping violation related to an Ostarine sample. She received a two-year sanction, which was later terminated on May 3, 2019, after USADA determined the positive test stemmed from a contaminated supplement.
UFC Debut and Rise (2019–2020)
Ribas made her long-awaited UFC debut against Emily Whitmire on June 29, 2019, at UFC on ESPN 3, finishing the fight via rear-naked choke in the second round. She followed that performance with a hard-fought unanimous decision win over Mackenzie Dern at UFC Fight Night 161 in October 2019, a victory that announced her arrival in the strawweight division.
Continuing her momentum in 2020, Ribas defeated Randa Markos by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 170, after original opponent Paige VanZant withdrew with a fractured arm. She later submitted VanZant herself in the first round at UFC 251 in July 2020, capping a five-fight unbeaten run inside the Octagon.
Setbacks and Comeback (2021–2022)
Ribas faced her first UFC setback on January 24, 2021, at UFC 257, where she was stopped by Marina Rodriguez via technical knockout in the second round. A scheduled bout with Angela Hill in May 2021 was cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols, and lingering symptoms from the illness forced her out of a rescheduled matchup as well.
Returning to action at UFC 267 in October 2021, Ribas earned a unanimous decision win over Virna Jandiroba. She followed it with a close split decision loss to Katlyn Chookagian at UFC on ESPN 36 in May 2022, a fight that earned her first Fight of the Night bonus award.
American Top Team Era (2016–Present)
Since 2016, Ribas has trained out of American Top Team in Florida, one of the most respected mixed martial arts academies in the world. The move to American Top Team allowed her to refine her striking under world-class coaches while continuing to develop her grappling alongside elite training partners. Her association with the team has been a defining element of her UFC tenure.
Style and Strengths
Ribas is best known for her aggressive grappling, sharp judo throws, and persistent ground-and-pound from top position. She blends her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt credentials with improving Muay Thai, and her cardio allows her to push a high pace across three rounds. Her ability to threaten submissions makes her dangerous even when striking against ranked opponents.
Notable Events and Milestones
Highlights include her 2014 IMMAF Senior World Championship gold, her first-round submission of Paige VanZant at UFC 251, and a Performance of the Night bonus after her third-round TKO of Luana Pinheiro at UFC Fight Night 232 in November 2023. She has also faced former champion Rose Namajunas in a UFC on ESPN 53 main event in March 2024.
Amanda Ribas Career Wins
Amanda Ribas has accumulated thirteen professional victories across her career, with four by knockout or technical knockout, one by submission, and two by decision. Her finishes have come against a mix of rising prospects and established names, and her wins are split across regional Brazilian promotions and the UFC.
UFC Wins
Inside the Octagon, Ribas has earned signature wins over Emily Whitmire, Mackenzie Dern, Randa Markos, Paige VanZant, Virna Jandiroba, Viviane Araújo, and Luana Pinheiro. Her 2020 victory over VanZant remains her most high-profile finish, while her unanimous decision over Dern in 2019 announced her as a serious strawweight contender.
Other Wins and Performances
Before joining the UFC, Ribas built her record on the Brazilian regional circuit, including several finishes by knockout and submission. She has also represented Brazil in international amateur competition, most notably at the 2014 IMMAF Senior World Championships, where her gold medal marked one of the defining early achievements of her career.
Amanda Ribas Family
Family Background and Fighting Lineage
Ribas comes from a strong martial arts family rooted in Varginha. Her father, Marcelo Ribas, is a judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach who also teaches Muay Thai, and he trained Amanda throughout her childhood. The family-run Marcelo Ribas Team served as her original training base before she moved to American Top Team in 2016.
Personal Life
Ribas continues to be closely tied to her hometown of Varginha, Minas Gerais, which she lists as her place of residence. She has spoken openly about her close relationship with her father and credits him with shaping her martial arts foundation. Outside of training, she has expressed a lifelong connection to the mat, once noting that she was born on it and that grappling always felt natural to her.
2025 Season Performance
Ribas entered 2025 looking to rebound from a late-2024 submission loss to Mackenzie Dern in their rematch at UFC Fight Night 249. The early months of the year focused on training camp at American Top Team, with the aim of returning to the UFC women’s strawweight rankings.
On July 26, 2025, she faced Tabatha Ricci at UFC on ABC 9 in a bout originally scheduled for UFC 318. Ribas lost the fight by technical knockout in the second round, extending a difficult stretch against top-ranked opposition. The performance did little to change her standing, but she remained active within the division.
Looking ahead, Ribas had been scheduled to face Fatima Kline on July 18, 2026, at UFC Fight Night 281, but she withdrew from the bout due to dizziness and was replaced by Tabatha Ricci. The cancellation highlights the physical toll of a long career and underscores the importance of recovery as she works toward her next appearance inside the Octagon.
