Amanda Ribas vs Maycee Barber
Amanda Ribas and Maycee Barber cross paths in this pairing of promising flyweights on Saturday.
The 29-year-old Ribas has split time between strawweight and flyweight, arriving with a 12-3 record overall and coming off a unanimous decision win over Viviane Araujo at UFC 285 in March. She’s stumbled against the most seasoned opponents she’s faced, but Ribas continues to show improvements each time out and has the all-around skill set to be a consistent threat at either 115 pounds, 125 pounds or both going forward.
Now 25 years old, Barber has posted four straight victories since her UFC 258 loss to current champ Alexa Grasso, most recently edging out Andrea Lee on the scorecards in March. She’s figured out how to best deploy her weapons and play to her strengths, and while she can no longer break Jon Jones’ record for being the youngest champion in UFC history, “The Future” still has top-of-the-division upside.
Will Ribas show she’s a level beyond Barber and ready for another crack at a Top 5 opponent or can Barber keep rolling, pushing her winning streak to five while earning the biggest victory of her career?
Austen Lane vs Justin Tafa
Heavyweights Austen Lane and Justin Tafa share the Octagon here in what promises to be an explosive collision for as long as it lasts.
A fifth-round draft pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2010, Lane transitioned to MMA following the end of his NFL career, parlaying a five-fight winning streak into a second opportunity to compete on Dana White’s Contender Series last fall. The former defensive lineman dispatched Richard Jacobi towards the end of the first round, and looks to continue his winning ways in his promotional debut in familiar surroundings on Saturday.
