UFC: Amanda Ribas thinks she has keys to crack Zhang Weili code – ‘it’s not an easy fight for her’
- No 12-ranked strawweight on the up and plotting a similarly meteoric rise to that of Chinese champ
- ‘I hope someday I fight against her, it will be a big fight,’ says the popular Brazilian 27-year-old
Amanda Ribas and Zhang Weili have plenty in common.
They compete in the UFC’s strawweight division; they’re undefeated in the promotion, with just one loss each on their overall records; they’re hugely popular with fans.
But while the 31-year-old “Magnum” Zhang (21-1) holds the 115-pound belt, Ribas (10-1) is a little newer on the scene and four years younger. She only arrived in the UFC in 2019, but with a devastating submission game and an infectious zest for life.
And with four wins in the Octagon already on her resume, Ribas is plotting a similarly meteoric rise to Zhang’s, which saw the Chinese star win the belt in just as many outings in the UFC.
“I think she [Zhang] is a really good fighter,” Ribas told SCMP MMA. “Strong, explosive, powerful, she’s got a lot of potency. And technical. And the most important is her brain.
