Amanda Ribas vs. Rose Namajunas odds: Who is favored to win the flyweight clash?
Amanda Ribas vs. Rose Namajunas is set to headline the upcoming UFC Vegas 89 event. The card will take place on March 23, with the promotion returning to it's APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ribas and Namajunas are both dropping back down to the flyweight division for the bout, and are likely looking for a statement performance to catapult up the rankings. Ribas is currently ranked No.8 in the division after beating Luana Pinheiro via TKO at strawweight and even earning a performance bonus.
As for 'Thug,' the former strawweight champ made her flyweight debut last year but suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Manon Fiorot. The loss means she is currently on two-fight skid, but now has the opportunity to enter the rankings should she pick up the victory this weekend.
Heading into the fight, the odds for Amanda Ribas vs. Rose Namajunas have been released but are subject to change.
Per Vegas Insider, Ribas is surprisingly the betting underdog ahead of the bout at +200, despite holding multiple victories in the division and being ranked inside the top 10.
In comparison, Namajunas, who lost her flyweight debut and is unranked, will step into the cage as a -250 favorite. This is likely due to her previous run as the strawweight champion, which includes two wins over both Zhang Weili and Joanna Jędrzejczyk.
Amanda Ribas vs. Rose Namajunas: 'Thug' explains decision to return to flyweight once again
Rose Namajunas recently explained her decision to return to the women's flyweight division, despite her debut not going according to plan.
The 31-year-old spoke to the press during the UFC Vegas 89 media day this week and stated that she plans on becoming a two-division champion. Namajunas has previously held the strawweight title on two occasions and successfully defended the belt during both of her reigns.
According to Namajunas, despite the setbacks she has faced in the octagon, she believes she is more than capable of winning the flyweight title. 'Thug' also stated that she expects victory over Ribas to immediately throw her into the title picture. She said:
"Becoming two-division champ this year would be awesome. But I know that's a steep mountain to climb and I've had some setbacks so I've got to be realistic. But I do believe that that's very realistic."
Check out the Amanda Ribas vs. Rose Namajunas media day interviews here (4:18 for Namajunas' comments):