Prediction: Amanda Ribas via Decision
Ribas has been in there with killers and held her own. She’s battle-tested, and this is a level Ricci just hasn’t reached yet.
Stylistically, Ribas is a huge problem for Ricci. On the feet, Ribas is way more polished. She’s got real striking at range—clean jab, solid kicks, good footwork—and most importantly, she knows how to keep distance when she wants to. Ricci, on the other hand, doesn’t bring much finesse to her striking. She’s not “sticking” anything—it’s just crash forward, throw a few wide shots, and either dip out or barrel into the clinch. There’s no sharp combinations, no real head movement, and that kind of reckless burst is exactly what Ribas is built to pick apart.
And in the clinch or grappling? Ricci’s usual path to success isn’t likely to work here. Against most fighters, she can just muscle them to the cage, get a hold of them, and grind out control. But Ribas is strong and technical. She won’t get held there. In fact if it hits the mat, Ribas is slick with her jiu-jitsu and knows how to reverse or create scrambles that end with her on top or back to her feet.
Ricci has heart and she’s gritty, but there’s a ceiling to her style, especially when the technique isn’t tight. Against someone like Ribas who can handle the pace, beat her to the punch at range, and not get bullied in the clinch? That’s a bad matchup. Ribas should control the distance, win the cleaner exchanges, and if it goes to the ground, she’ll be in the better positions.