MMA Preview – Amanda Ribas vs Rose Namajunas at UFC ESPN 53
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AMANDA RIBAS VS ROSE NAMAJUNAS FACTS
When is UFC on ESPN 53? Sunday 24th March, 2024 - 00:00 (UK)
Where is UFC on ESPN 53? UFC Apex, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC on ESPN 53? Click here to buy tickets for UFC on ESPN
What channel is UFC on ESPN 53 on? TNT Sports 2
Where can I stream UFC on ESPN 53? TNT Sports subscribers can stream the fight online via the TNT Sports website and Discovery+
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
AMANDA RIBAS VS ROSE NAMAJUNAS LOWDOWN
Amanda Ribas (13-4) is 3-3 in her last six, but she has only fought top contenders and is coming off her most impressive performance to date. She had a mixed bag last year starting it with a quality unanimous decision win over Viviane Araujo, but then suffered a significant setback getting TKO’d by Maybee Barber. She then took on the prospect Luana Pinheiro and caught her with a beautiful spinning wheel kick before putting her away in the third round.
Now she welcomes the former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas (11-6) for her second fight at 125 lbs. After she lost that embarrassing title defence to Carla Esparza (2022) she decided to try her hand up at flyweight. She was handed a very tough introduction in the shape of Manon Fiorot who came out on top in a unanimous decision loss. Now, Namajunas hope to prevent a three-fight skid with her first dub in the division.
AMANDA RIBAS VS ROSE NAMAJUNAS PREDICTION
This is a very exciting match-up and Namajunas will be grateful Ribas is a similar size unlike Fiorot. They both have all the tools and will be able to push a pace for five rounds.
Ribas is the stronger grappler with a judo background and Namajunas is the more polished striker. They also both have exceptional jiu-jitsu and it would be a treat to see these skills on display although this will likely be a battle between Ribas’ wrestling and Namajunas’ striking.
The former champ will back her own grappling, but considering she has four wins over the likes of Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Weili Zhang who are on a different striking level to Ribas, she will be confident of outclassing her.
Ribas is also dangerous on the feet, but her defence is too porous to withstand the accuracy and timing of Namajunas. She has to close the distance and use her strength advantage to pin Namajunas down.
We can see her getting the fight to the ground and assuming control time although she will need to be able to keep up a water-tight pressure for at least three rounds. We feel the Namajunas will be too illusive and will only need a couple rounds to inflict fight-winning damage.
Prediction: Namajunas via Decision
Value bet: Namajunas via KO/TKO
