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Good things really do come for those who wait. At least in Amanda Ribas‘ case.
Amanda Ribas drilled that spinning kick for three years
Though the Brazilian strawweight is better known as grappler, she finally scored her first knockout win in the UFC in her last outing. It may have happened three years following her debut, but Ribas made it count when she stopped Luana Pinheiro with a highlight reel spinning wheel kick earlier this month at UFC Vegas 82.
In an interview with Brazilian news outlet Globo Esporte (translated by Bloody Elbow), Ribas explained how she had been drilling the kick for the past three years, too. In fact, her team even had to come up with a secret code for the kick, so Pinheiro would not know it was coming when they decided to tell Ribas to use in the Octagon.
“That’s crazy, because the knockout happened in a matter of seconds, but the training part took a long time. I’ve been drilling that spinning kick for the past three years. We called it ‘Andreia’. That’s because my opponent was also Brazilian, so we needed some kind of code.”
“Before the strike to her face, I also landed some on her body, which took away her durability. It looked like she was getting tired and she was really feeling those shots to the belly. That’s when my dad yelled ‘Andreia to the face now’. She had lowered her guard and the kick landed flush.”
The kick earned Ribas Performance of the Night bonus
Not only the finish is forever going to be featured in Amanda Ribas’ highlight reel, but it also secured her a Performance of The Night bonus after the even, something the Brazilian had never won before in her UFC career. Though it was her first one, the 30-year-old claims she felt that one was coming in the fight against Pinheiro.
“I do believe words have power and now it’s been proven. My alarm clock would wake me up with a message that said ‘spinning kick bonus’. I’d wake up every day with that in mind and it motivated me to train harder and it worked in the fight.”
Ribas hasn’t won two in a row in the UFC since 2020
Amanda Ribas (13-4) recovered from TKO loss to Maycee Barber in June of this year with the win over Pinheiro. Back in March, the 30-year-old also picked up a unanimous decision win over Viviane Araujo, so it seems the Brazilian will be able to finish the year with a positive track record.
However, Ribas has not won two fights in a row since 2020, when she defeated Randa Markos by unanimous decision and submitted Paige VanZant with an armbar, respectively in March and July of that year. It seems we will have to wait until 2024 to see if the judo blackbelt can break the habit.
